At Least He Tried
by CatsEyeFanfictionInc
Summary: Sequel to 'Second Chance'.  Chance is back, but hurting from his past.  And no one seems to be able to reach him like they could before.  Can someone from the present help him to be who he was?  There's a different genre, but it would spoil the story.
1. Reminisce

HELLO I'M BACK AND ALIVE actually I was back for another fanfiction like a few days ago, BUT THIS ONE HAS CHAPTERS. :D

Anyways, this is the LAST of the series that I will post on Fanfiction. :( Sorry, guys, the series starts dealing less with the characters of the story and more with my own characters. And that's not fair for people on fanfiction. It already focuses enough on Chance.

If you still care about it, it'll still be on DeviantArt, and, if I get 15 separate people to ask for it on fanfiction, I'll post it here!

ANYWAYS…So, CHANCE IS ALIVE, but plot twist, Treep's there too!

_One thing I wanted to note in particular…When I write fanfictions, I usually give them a quick run-over, and consider it okay. If there are big mistakes here or there, or sentences that don't make sense, know that most of this is raw, unedited material._

So, the sequel focuses on everyone getting back on track for all of two or so chapters, then focuses on more important things, two people chief above them!

So, sit back, and get ready for At Least He Tried!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Cenchax/Chance, Rose, Nathan, and the briefly mentioned Darren and Treep. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**At Least He Tried**

A Cat's Eye Fanfiction Inc. Production

_Sometimes…_

_Even if you try you hardest…_

_Even if you believes with all your heart…_

_Even if your desire to succeed more than could can possibly imagine…_

_It just isn't enough._

_But, hey. At least you gave it your best shot._

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**Chapter 1: Reminisce**

A long howl sounded off in the distance in response to his sharp whistle. His eyes were still damp with tears, and the dull look in his eyes had yet to fade, he noticed. But, he was looking livelier as the thundering footsteps of some creature galloped closer. Behind him, all but a slate-haired boy was in some sort of panicked trance, where despite the fact that they wanted to run more than anything, they remained rooted in place by curiosity.

Suddenly, crashing out of the undergrowth, bolted a pale-colored beast, with no eyes, a strange spike pattern, and a silver mask. It charged a few steps, then skidded to a stop. Behind him, he sensed his brother sucking in a breath, summoning his weapon. He held a hand up to his brother, and murmured, "No. Don't. It's okay…" Surprise rippled briefly across the brunette's face, but the silver key soon vanished from his hand. He still stood in a position where he could rush at the creature with everything he had.

The creature seemed to be taking in the one who stood in front of everyone else; the one who had whistled for it. The creature's mouth opened, revealing that the stitches pattern was merely for show, and it took in a breath of air, as though to assure himself that the boy with the one-of-a-kind scruffy hair was really who he looked like. The teenager in front stretched his arms wide, called out, "Oh, come on, Nathan; don't tell me you can't tell it's me, dude!"

The creature jumped, slightly startled, and, had it had eyes; it appeared he would've been staring at the teenager who called out. A few moments later, the creature seemed to grin, letting out a roar of triumph. He threw himself forward, bounding his way up the hill, his black tongue streaming out behind him. All but three people backed away, a few of them letting out small sounds of terror. The only two who didn't kept their distance, but didn't move from their spot.

The thing bounded across the valley, up the steep hill, and flew straight over to the boy, almost knocking him right off his feet. The black-haired teenager laughed, and stroked the beast as it began nuzzling him, letting out a sound similar to a cat's purr, but was far too rough to be so. Everyone else watched with mixed reactions.

"Aw, Nathan, I missed you too, buddy…!" the teen murmured, resting his head against the beasts, holding its gigantic jaw in the palm of his hands. He was smiling fully again, and almost looked like his old self. It made his heart swell to see that, maybe, just maybe, the teen was…

He shook his head, frowning slightly. No. He had heard what he had said. He couldn't let himself be deceived. The last time he had done that, he lost the teenager. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

After the beast—who the black-haired boy referred to as Nathan—had finally finished nuzzling the boy in the strange coat, he and the slate-haired boy (both wearing coats identical to the one the other teen was wearing) stepped forward, gazing at the beast.

"I missed you, Nathan…" he muttered, lifting his hand to stroke the beast's neck. It snorted, but didn't protest, and its feelers tickled his body in a show just short of affection.

"Welcome back…" the slate-haired boy put in, curt, but with a warm voice.

"Um…Cenchax?" the brunette who had summoned the large key ventured, taking a step forward. The black-haired teen looked over at him. "What…What is that thing?"

Cenchax smirked, and walked beside Nathan, putting a hand on the serpent-like monster's wither. "Don't worry; he wouldn't hurt a fly if I told him not to…" Stroking the beast fondly, he looked up at it, continuing, "This is Sir Nathanial Periwinkle. Back when I was in the Organization, he was my Nobody pet. Only reason he's probably still alive was because he's also technically alive, like you and me…"

"But…why does he look familiar?" the brunette ventured. When everyone looked over at him, confused, Sora added, "I mean, I feel like I've met him somewhere…"

The beast finally turned its head to the brunette, gazing intently at the boy. He stiffened, and let out a low growl, snaking his head down low. The blue-eyed teenager leaned back in fear, sucking in another breath. Cenchax pat Nathan a few times on the shoulder to attempt and relax the beast.

"Relax, big fella…" he murmured soothingly. "Sora's our friend now…" Nathan snorted, but relaxed his muscles, and stood tall again, gazing down at Sora as though he were analyzing a mildly-interesting underclassman. Turning to Sora, Cenchax explained, "You probably don't remember it, because it's tied to your memories from Castle Oblivion…"

"But I don't remember those!" Sora whined. "Namine still can't get those back for me!"

"Exactly." Cenchax's eyes grew soft, and he explained, "I was the first one you attacked on your way to the Castle, dude, and I had Nathan come in to try and beat you…"

Sora's eyes widened, jaw dropping down. Misery lit up his eyes. "S-So, I…I…I was the one who…!"

Cenchax shook his head, chuckling bitterly. "No, Sora, you beat me, but you didn't kill me…" He was hiding something—something that made him wince just to see Cenchax bring up—but his dull eyes refused to tell the tale to anyone. Sora looked like he was about to say something, but thought better than to, and simply kept a wary eye on the beast. It took a few steps forward and gave Sora a good sniff over. He then snorted, and stepped back, nodding to Sora in approval. Sora's fears were slightly alleviated, but they didn't completely vanish.

**(Author's Note: Nathan WAS in the final battle, but only in the Author's version. Reason being that Nathan was created after 'I'll Never Be Enough' was written, and writing in a whole new character would not only have made the story longer, but more complicated. Besides, he's only there to be an extra character; not too major, but not minor enough to be deserve to be forgotten in the sequels.)**

"So, now that we know that Nathan is okay," a dirty blonde girl towards the back said, deciding to put her two-cents in. "I think we should head back." Glancing over at the Keyblade Master, she finished, "We have to meet up with the King to arrange patrols around our school course." She looked over at Cenchax, and added, "And we need to get your registered at the DTBS so you can start this semester to!" She smiled, closing her eyes and turning her head to the side. "I'm sure they won't deny the perfect behaving Cenchax Logan into—!"

"Chance Logan."

The area went silent, and everyone's face turned to the black-haired boy who had stated the name so seriously. The solemn look on his face was far deeper than anyone could fathom.

"Chance?" she asked. Her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Your Somebody name?"

The teenager nodded. "Cenchax was just my Organization name. I know that everyone else grew attached to theirs," he said, acknowledging the two to his side with two nods of his head. "Either that, or keeping their name was more convenient. But, I never really let go of my real name." He turned his head sideways and murmured something under his breath. He felt like he wasn't meant to hear what Cenchax was saying, but he managed to pick up, "…it's pretty much all I have left from my parents…" His stomach lurked in sympathy and sadness to behold the usually jolly boy looking so glum.

He was going to have to start getting used to his mood swings again, wasn't he?

"Okay, so, you just want to be…"

"Chance Logan," he affirmed, nodding his head. "I can take Cenchax as my middle name, and I'll still respond to that…But that's not my name. My name is Chance," he ended with, confidence lining his voice.

The slate-haired boy beside him sighed in aggravation. "That's going to take some adjusting to…" he groaned. Chance laughed at him.

"Oh, Zexion, at least I'm not saying you can't call me Cenchax, dude!" he exclaimed, patting the gray-eyed boy on the shoulder. Pausing, he added, "And I expect you to be screwing up still for several months!"

"HEY!" With that, Zexion made a lunge at Chance, who dodged with ease, chuckling to himself. The short teen began to chase Chance around, ignoring everyone laughing as Chance's far-longer strides outran his own.

"Hey, Roxas, was it ALWAYS like this in the Organization?" The blonde turned to see his brother snickering at the scene, the question still on his face. Roxas let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, pretty much all the time."

Or, usually, at least.

He tried to block out of his mind—at least for the moment—all of the nights he had laid awake listening to the boy's supposedly silent crying. Or the nights where he'd lay awake, wondering if Cenchax—no, Chance—whether he was doing the same. He attempted not to remember the times Chance had sobbed his eyes out in his arms, like the mocha-eyed boy had just done yesterday. And he really didn't want the imagery of Chance's slashed wrists, the sight of his broken body after he had fallen off that building, the bloodstains on the covered side of his face…

He just wanted to remember this Chance, running around, bright, happy, unaffected by anything. Couldn't he have that? Couldn't Chance be okay?

"Alright, you goofs, we gotta get back soon!" the girl exclaimed, bounding off into the woods, in the general direction of the nearby town. "Sora, you told Riku we'd be back in a half hour, and it's almost been forty-five minutes!"

Sora groaned, bolting after her. "He's going to have a fit again…!"

Zexion and Chance began to walk, but before they could, Roxas snatched Zexion's arm, feigning a mirthful smile. Both teens looked back at him in surprise. "You guys go ahead! We'll catch up later!" When Chance cocked his head to the side—Roxas ignored the jump in his stomach—he added, "It's about a patrol."

"Oh…" Chance muttered, realization crossing his face. Nodding with a small grin on his face, he trotted off after the rest of them. Nathan followed him like a shadow, letting out a little sound of happiness every once in a while.

Zexion turned back to Roxas, confused. "Roxas, we're not on any patrols tonight…We don't even have scouting duty…" His gaze intensified as he continued, "Why did you lie to Chance?"

Roxas turned away, taking the smile off of his face. He turned from Zexion, gripping his arms with his hands, and looking up at the sky. The sun had set rather low in the sky, giving the world around them a strange, orange-amber glow. The rays glittered as they reflected off of the tears welling up in Roxas's eyes.

"Zexion…What are we going to do?"  
>He didn't need to see Zexion's reaction to know that the teen was taken aback. "Do?"<p>

"About Cen…Chance."

"Oh…" Roxas could identify the emotion Zexion's tone portrayed; defeat. He could tell that the slate-haired boy hadn't the faintest clue what they should do either. Footsteps started, stopping right behind his back, and a hand rested on his shoulder. "Roxas, there are so many things we tried…We tried talking to him, listening to him, begging, leaving him be…" He shook his head. "What else can we do?"

"I don't know…But if Chance isn't getting better, we're not trying hard enough…" Roxas whispered, ducking his head further and further down. He bit down on his lower lip, trying to keep his cries in.

"Roxas?"

"WHY?" It couldn't be contained any longer. He whipped around and threw his arms around Zexion, digging his head into his superior's chest. The tears wouldn't stop flowing from his eyes, and his breathing quickened, the occasional sob hiccupping out. Zexion tensed up, almost leaping out of the boy's range.

"Why does this keep happening?" Roxas cried out. "We get Chance back, the REAL Chance, the one we should've known to begin with…Only to have him taken away!"

Zexion, after much hesitation, slowly wrapped his arms around the boy, stroking his hair in a soothing fashion. He had no idea why the blonde was so clingy, nor did he have any idea where these spurs of affection came from. He wasn't even sure why Roxas began running to him in his time of need, when he was going to break down, rather than Axel. But, what he did know was that Roxas needed someone. And even if Zexion wasn't that someone, he would have to do.

"Roxas, I would give up everything to keep him the way he used to be, before all that shit happened in his life, before we met him…I would…" Empty words did nothing. Even if he would, what could he do?

It had been a day since the boy had come back from practically the dead.

And now Chance's main goal was to go back from whence he came.

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'_Dear diary._

_Wow. It's been a while since I've written in you like this.' _He paused, putting his pen aside for the moment. He looked around his room; it was just the way he had left it, over a year ago. Same furniture, same curtains, same walls…same bloodstains. Plus a few new ones. Memories flooded over him—sharper now that he could actually feel. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, then pulling it out, remembering that his wrists were still dripping. He made a mental note to wash it out later. He wasn't squeamish around blood, but he hated it in his hair; it was already messy enough, and with enough strange colors.

He picked up his pen again. '_I can't even begin to write what happened…I must've written in you the day I…well, technically, the day I died…I've wrote some poems since then, and an entry or two, but no entries like this in a while…'_

The memories of that night came crashing down; strange, black creatures with emotionless eyes, pursuing him through a dark forest not far from his home. He shook himself, and returned to his journal.

'_It would take several decades to write everything that happened; I might as well write a memoir. But, for the sake of time, and for the sake of escaping…the truth for a few more seconds, I think a summary will be fine._'

He ran over all of his memories from the past year—almost two years now, he realized with a small jolt.

_'I died. I joined an Organization, whose goal was to collect hearts and make the heart of all worlds—Kingdom Hearts. I met some really cool people, and I made twelve new friends…_'

He almost scribbled out the world '_twelve_' and wrote '_thirteen_' instead, but hesitated. His face heated slightly, and a small blush covered his face, accompanied by the smallest of grins.

'_I…fell in love. I met the nicest, sweetest boy, and I fell for him._' He grit his teeth, pausing for a moment. He continued, '_Too late, I'd realize this was a mistake.'_

What else had happened? He ran through more Organization XIII memories. His pen returned to the paper a moment later, the deep red ink smoothly flowing across the lines.

'_I learned, I went on missions, I kissed that boy I fell for…I found powers in my I never knew I had, and…'_ He had to stop here. He could continue later, but…He had to stop here. He placed his pen beside him calmly; his eye stretched out as far as it could go; only expressing a portion of his torment. He curled up into a tight ball on the floor, rocking slightly back and forth. He was too far in to shove the memory away, so he let it wash over him, moaning as he remembered in vague flashes what had happened that night. The zippers slowly traveling down, the taste of someone else's mouth, the horrible words he had uttered, the confession…

"I'm sorry…" he hissed under his breath. The warm tears slid down his face, across his lips, over his unseeing eye. He winced as the slightly salty water drops ran across the open wounds on his face, but he didn't attempt to stop them. He just pressed his bleeding wrists closer to his body, almost willing them to bleed out more, until he became too weak to fight off death any longer.

Not that he was trying to fight it off in the first place.

Finally, he sat back up, wiping away the blood and tears where he could, only to make worse of a mess all over himself. He would definitely need a shower. Pushing that note aside, the black-haired boy lifted he pen again, and wrote with pauses, '_I…I tried to rape him. I didn't get away with it…But I still tried…'_ He shivered, pushing those memories aside for the moment to make room for new ones.

'_I tried to kill myself, but that's nothing new. I officially confessed to him, and I guess I wasn't exactly rejected. That's some-what of a plus, I guess…holidays passed, more drama ensued, I made more stupid mistakes…I came so close to dying, but never did.'_ The sigh returned. He couldn't do anything right. Ever.

'_I needed something I could never have, I reached for goals I had to achieve…and I screwed up big-time. I failed an essential mission, and thought I needed to be punished for it.'_

He could remember Sora's every word, his every movement, every swing of his Kamisori, every haul of the boy's Keyblade, his two friends backing him up, Nathan roaring in frustration…

_'So…I finally managed to kill myself.'_ He could feel the blade slicing through is abdomen, hear the rush of the winds, the screaming of hundreds of people he didn't know, the thunder of the truck, the blaring of its horn…It was like it had happened yesterday.

'_Of course, like every other time I tried to die and thought I succeeded, I didn't remain dead for long. Made a new record though; a year and a half, give or take._'

He couldn't help but smile at the remembrance of his first waking moments. Roxas and Zexion bent over him, care shining in their eyes, the pain lifted somewhat off his shoulders…He chuckled. For a few moments, at that moment, he had almost convinced himself that things would be alright.

'_Looking back with my new opinions on everything, it was a spur of the moment decision, and I almost regret it.'_ As he continued to write, he felt the grin slip off his face, and his pen travelling slower and slower, almost reluctantly. He finally ended the entry with a single word.

_'Almost._'

Okay, now he HAD to stop. For the evening, at the very least. He couldn't write about what he had seen yesterday, the events that had taken place. A muffled sob tried to worm its way out of his chest, and after several more attempts, he allowed the misery to take him over.

"Treep…" Such a simple name. Strange, unique, bizarre…And one that caused Chance more pain than he had ever openly admitted. He stared out his window, looking up at the eternally black sky.

He remembered the tan-skinned boy the first day he had met him; when he was younger, and his temper had been at the average level of a ten-year-old. He remembered that he had just begun to question his sexuality then, and the sight of the scruffy-looking, broad-shouldered boy had made him completely sure. He remembered Darren running up to him, tugging his hand, and introducing him. He briefly passed over memories of sleep-overs, butterfly catching, holding hands, a few nights when they had gone out to catch fireflies…He remembered the dreamy gazes he had sent towards the boy when he felt like he wasn't looking, the mooning after him, the careful manner which he hid his secret. He even remembered times where he believed the other boy was falling for him; kissing a few cuts to make them feel better, hugging him tighter than Chance had thought was right, even a few times when they had blushed when they got too close.

As the years went by, though, the brown-haired boy had hardened, his temper rising, and the caring moments with him becoming less and less. It started with a hand tugged away, apologies for getting too close, and the slow decrease of hugs. Then Chance started getting the cold shoulders, and the lively green and blue eyes turned stony, glaring at him every time he passed. Chance got into the habit of ducking his head every time he past the boy in school, a light blush on his face.

Then everyone started dating, and the brown-haired boy was not to be left behind. When he had his first girlfriend, Chance remembered running home crying. It must've been when he was thirteen, or even twelve. He couldn't remember all that well. But what he did remember was it was the first day he had the courage to bring a razor to his wrists. It still surprised him how little he had cared about what his friends said. Ignoring all their questions, he tried to make them forget about his cuts and focus on feigning the happy-go-lucky teen, buying his armbands, joining the sports teams, hardly even reacting when he found out his love had lost his virginity.

And then…Then there was the day he had confessed to the teen. The day he was rejected, the day he first tried to die, the day he disappeared from everyone's lives.

He thought he had left everything behind. Apparently not.

Just yesterday, he had seen Treep again.

And what was worst?

He had nowhere to go. He was stuck. What little money he had left wasn't enough to pay for an apartment. He didn't know Destiny Town, and getting a job at the beginning of a semester would be too difficult. And it would be too cruel to leave Roxas and Zexion now, not to mention the rest of the Organization. They were the closest thing he had to family right now…

He was stuck in Destiny Town, with Rose, Darren, Sora, Roxas, Zexion…And Treep.

He lay on the floor, closing his eyes, half-hoping that he would fall asleep and keep bleeding, never waking again. Tears streamed down his cheeks, spreading across the carpet almost as fast as the blood seeped through.

"I never wanted to be a burden…" he muttered through gritted teeth. "I wanted to relieve you of yours…And I TRIED to leave…I tried, Treep, I tried…"

He grabbed onto his shoulders, curling himself up, his brow furrowing as the torment crashed over him.

"I love you so fucking much…" he coughed, the tears slipping into his mouth. "I'd never do anything you didn't want me to…" He relaxed, sighing. "I know I don't deserve you. I'm so weak…"

How long he lay there, just repeating that over and over again in his head, he hadn't the faintest clue. Probably hardly even five minutes, even though it had felt like an eternity.

But he finally stood up, breathing heavily, his eyes too dried up to continue crying. His throat was parched, causing him to wince in pain every time he took a breath. He finally stood himself up, forcing himself to stand when his legs felt like they would cave underneath him.

"I never was enough, I never am enough, and I'll never be enough," he breathed, his voice raspy. He looked through his room one last time, just to be sure he had gathered everything he had needed. Finally, he wiped his hand across the page on his journal, just to be sure the blood had dried. He flipped it closed, gathered his pens, and looked down at the cup. Sighing, he took a brief trip to the bathroom and poured it down the toilet, careful not to let it stain the porcelain bowl. He tossed the paper cup away, and returned to his room. He picked up his pens and his notebook, put them in the suitcase, and walked to his door, rolling it behind him. He could just send himself off any time he wanted, but he wanted it to feel like he was really leaving.

He paused, just before he left, and looked at the floor. He slowly brought his gaze back to his room. The drawers of the desks were empty, the beds stripped, the curtains gone, and everything he had a personal attachment to was coming with him.

Even so, he understood that he was still leaving behind more than a room and furniture. He was leaving a time where he was so close to being stable again. The closest he had been in years. He could confidently say that he had been happier during his time in the Organization than he had been on his own. Even if he had tried to kill himself still, even if he had cut, even if he was still depressed, it had been so nice to live with friends again. And he still would.

But everything would be different.

_Treep, I promise…_No one was here. He had nothing to fear. Still, he kept his voice no louder than a whisper as he spoke, and it wasn't because his throat was raw.

"Treep, wherever you are…I promise never to bother you again. I promise to stay out of your life as much as I can. I promise, as soon as I can, I'll leave forever. I won't let myself get away with surviving to be your burden."

Blinking, he realized he was still in his former room, with friends waiting for him worlds away. He gave it one last fond look before speaking, louder this time.

"Goodbye, Organization XIII." He began to close the door. "I can't say I'm happy leaving you behind."

The door closed. A bright flash of light illuminated the dark halls. It dimmed away, and Chance was gone.

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Yeah, Nathan's more of a side-character, and won't show up too much. Unfortunately. I love that serpent-dragon-dog-thing, but the series focuses more on PEOPLE.

Recap: Back alive, everyone is, and Cenchax has decided to cling onto his old name, more for emotional than for convenient reasons. And everyone gets all angsty. Well, that's to be expected.

A little more on the series in general while I'm rambling: It's got a lot of needless chapters that are there for reasons which, if I told you, would ruin the plot.

And there's a HUGE plot point that happens SUDDENLY, and it could almost be called TOO sudden, if that wasn't what I was going for. Luckily, in this case, I did. :3

And, if you aren't sick of this already, you can find out what that plot twist is!

~Cat's Eye


	2. At Last

LET ME JUST GO OUT AND SAY THIS; THIS IS THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. THAT IS ALL.

Okay, probably, only most of you have been waiting for this, and possibly, you weren't at all, and it was just me, BUT I DON'T CARE.

Boring, cheesy, over-used start of quick transitioning, then…DRAMA.

I will spoil no more.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them.

I also don't own the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Disney owns that.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance, and the briefly mentioned Treep. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 2: At Last**

Destiny Town Boarding School proved to be little difficulty getting into, and Chance, almost seventeen, enrolled in tenth grade, since he had never finished the grade before the Organization. Buried in his studies, along with the rest of his friends, he found himself alone more and more often, trying to keep up with his classes. And he wasn't the only one adjusting to this. The school was slowly getting used to the new students; not just Roxas and Chance, but Zexion, Lexaeus, Axel, Demyx, Xion, and Namine. The mentioned were getting used to the school work, while the rest of the Organization began applying for jobs. They all shared rent in a small apparent building; for now, their savings was enough to pay for it the rooms needed, which was all fifteen of them.

Separation seemed unnatural, especially since Chance was back. It seemed that they would be living together for some time, supporting one another…

And supporting the King. Now that there was no reason to fight one another, Xemnas (still speaking for the former Organization) and King Mickey had forged an alliance, agreeing to patrol the worlds and keeping the Heartless under control. The Gummi Ship was constantly running, as patrols travelled from world to world, sometimes scouting them all, and sometimes checking only two or three, sometimes exploring every inch of one. It was more difficult now that they no longer had access to the portals (Xemnas had closed them off after the Organization officially ended), but they managed.

It wasn't hard changing from Organization life to this new life. It was similar to getting a new mission, along with triple the amount of paperwork anyone had to fill out.

The only big difference was Chance seemed a little harder to reach.

Treep would pass by, and the boy's head would nearly fly off as he swiveled around to watch him go, throwing his gaze away the moment Treep even glanced over. He would walk over to Treep, a smile on his face, and nearly sit beside him, only to frown in the last moment, and plod away as far as he could, trying not to make eye contact. Whenever he even bumped into the boy, he leapt away, sucking in a breath as though he had been signed by the brush. On the occasion, Treep would attempt to make small talk, but other than that, he almost acted as though Chance didn't exist. The Organization treated him coldly, throwing glares at him, tensing in anger as he approached the group. Axel had even gotten into the habit of actually standing up, lifting his food tray, and deliberately walking away from Treep if the tan-skinned boy sat next to him.

They blamed him. Chance had begged them not to. But they did. In their eyes, Chance would've been fine had Treep not trampled all over his heart.

To them, Treep had caused Chance to be even more distant and further from salvation than ever.

Days added up, and a month passed.

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"Roxas?"

The golden-haired boy paused in the classroom, eyes widening as he saw the icy blonde girl gazing at him, a soft pink flush on her pale skin. The bell had just rung, and everyone was bursting out of the classroom, impatient to be home. Even the teacher had dashed off. But Namine remained routed on the spot, signifying that she wanted to stay back and talk to Roxas about something.

"Hmm? Yeah, Namine?" he asked, walking over. For a second, he paused, wondering if he should dash after Sora to catch the bus. Then again, he could always get a ride from Axel; the ginger usually hung around, giving any of his stranded friends rides home. With that putting his mind at ease, he walked right up in front of Namine.

Suddenly shy, she ducked her head, blush darkening. "Um…I…I dropped a necklace on the floor, and I was wondering…if you could help me find it…"

Roxas turned back, looking at the lab tables to the back. It was as valid of a story as any; for their biology class, the entire class had been up and about, gathering tools and samples, and Matilda had earlier dropped her earrings on the ground. However, something convinced him that Namine just wanted to talk, especially now that he remembered that she had a weird habit of asking people while looking for objects she supposedly lost when she wanted to talk.

"Sure. What does it look like?"  
>"Hmm? Oh, yeah…Um, it's a thin silver chain with a small heart charm on it…" Her rueful expression gave away her lies, but Roxas didn't let her know that he had caught on.<p>

"Alright, let's start!" he exclaimed. They both travelled to the lab benches, feeling around on the ground for a thin chain, eyes scanning for something both of them knew they wouldn't find.

"So, um…Roxas…" Namine's tone was friendly and casual, but the nervous note was hard to detect.

"Yeah?" he asked, picking up a piece of string, pretending to be examining it to see if it was a chain or not. He began to sit up, trying to hold it to the light.

"Well…We kinda…kinda have a thing going on…Right?"

Roxas froze. This definitely wasn't a search for a necklace anymore.

He wasn't the naïve boy he had been when he joined the Organization; he knew what 'having a thing' meant. Memories flooded over him, of holding hands, hugs, sitting close together, a few nervous kisses…the time they had snuck behind the football bleachers to kiss each other, if only for a few seconds…the study sessions they got too close, the awkward moments…

They had a thing going on alright.

But he also had a thing going on with Chance, almost exactly like that, if not more intense.

"W-well, when you put it like that…But, yeah…I guess we do…" he muttered, blushing. Suddenly, the floor pattern looked very interesting, and he followed the lines of the tile. He tried to avoid Namine, but discerning her movements was difficult, even in the silent room.

"Well…I was kind of wondering…Just maybe…" Suddenly, he felt his hair poke into something. With a gasp, he realized he and Namine were face to face, his surprised expression gazing at her eager smile. "Maybe we could go to the movies this weekend or…or something?" she probed, blushing slightly. She leaned in slightly, eyes half closing. "I…I kind of want to be something…more…" she whispered.

Roxas froze on the spot. Namine backed away a little, sitting on her feet, waiting for his answer at a respectable distance.

He almost wished he could say yes. Namine wasn't the only one who wanted something more from their 'thing'. He wanted to be closer to her, wanted to know her even more than he already did. He knew that he cared about her, and was aware of his heart fluttering weakly as he stared into her cerulean eyes.

But he had a responsibility, and more than one person tugged at his heart strings.

He scooted closer, causing Namine to suck in a breath, flinching away in fear. Roxas gently grasped her arms, giving them a small tug, indicating she should stand. "Namine…" he murmured softly.

They both stood, Namine gripping onto Roxas's arms. He could tell she was reading his crestfallen expression, but wanted to hear it first.

"Namine, I really like you…" he admitted. "And I want to go out with you, it's just…"

Namine leaned in closer, awaiting his answer. He sighed, and continued.

"I can't. I…I have to help Chance…" Namine slumped slightly, but understanding lit up her eyes. She nodded sadly, a small grin stretching across her face. "I…I really care about him, and I…I'd go so far as to say that…I love him…"

Namine let out a small breath of surprise the smile wiping off her face, but said nothing more. Roxas realized that she was the first one he had ever told about true feelings for Chance. Yet, she deserved it. She deserved an explanation for why Roxas wouldn't go out with her. She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him close when he voiced no objections.

"It must be hard…" she murmured, pressing her head into his chest. "To see him in pain…"

A small needle of pain pricked his heart as he recalled the teenager walking down the hallway, his mocha eyes void of any happiness. Roxas lifted his hands and stroked her hair, placing his chin on top of her head. "It hurts…" He pulled away, gazing at her with dull yet intense eyes. "But that's why I have to be there for him…" He turned his head away, continuing, "I hurt him, too, and I owe it to him to try and help…" He looked back up at Namine, an almost pleading expression on his face. "Namine, do you understand?"

She pulled away from him, taking his hands into her own. Her smile returned, sympathy radiating off her cheeks. "I understand, Roxas…"

Roxas attempted a weak grin. "We can still be friends, and hang out, and go to movies…Just…Not like that…" His face reheated at the end of his sentence. "I'm sorry, but—"

He was cut off as Namine raised a finger to his lips. "It's fine Roxas…I get it." Her eyes saddened, her supportive expression slipping. "I want him to get better, and if you think that you can help him…I'm willing to step down…"

Roxas felt his heart tug at Namine's tranquil reaction to his rejection. To see the shy girl say so much, to step out of her comfort zone and take a risk, only to be shot down…It didn't feel right. He gripped her hands tighter, a determined look on his face. "It might not be forever…Maybe, someday, far away…Maybe we can be together…And I'll always be there for you, Namine, always."

"I know…" she whispered, nodding in understanding. Hesitating, Roxas leaned in slowly and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She sucked in a breath, then pulled away, eyes sparkling in encouragement. She began to speak, paused, then turned away, as though having second thoughts.

"Namine?" Roxas asked in a timid voice. "Namine…Please, don't be upset…"

"Go to him…"

Roxas leaned back, blushing again. His eyes augmented in befuddlement. "What?"

Namine turned to him, a cheery look on her face. "You aren't doing any good looking after him from the sidelines." Her eyes glittered in encouragement again. "Go to him. Be with him. Help Chance, for everyone. I'll always be there for you, but…" She closed her eyes for a hiatus, then opening them as she finished, "He needs you a lot more than I do."

Roxas gawked at her for a moment. She truly was amazing. He had just denied her, and she was pretty much telling him he belonged to someone else. And not only that; he belonged to the person that he was denying her for. _Namine…Someday. Maybe for only a day, maybe just a mishap under some mistletoe, an accidental Valentine…But someday._

He nodded, smiling at her. "Thanks, Namine…Thanks for understanding…"

She acknowledged him with a quick bob of her head. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but held her tongue. He turned out of the classroom, suddenly feeling the courage he needed to ask Chance…

He missed the tear rolling down her face, the sad grin she put on as she watched him leave. _If you love something, let it go…If it comes back, it is yours…If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with…_

He missed her bowing her head, clenching her fist. He missed her internal conflict; _I'm not mad at Chance…He deserves Roxas…But I have feelings, too…And I cared for him first…_

The jealously did not last, and only feelings of sadness and acceptance rolled off of her. _At least we're still friends…I can still watch out for him._

And, most importantly, he missed her say under her breath, "I'll wait for you forever, Roxas…"

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_Okay, Axel's usually slinking by the outside of the cafeteria…And I see Chance tomorrow at first lunch…_A dark blush crossed his face as he considered what he actually needed to do. Would he just ask Chance out on a date? Would he go all-out and admit that he loved Chance? Would he try growing closer before trying anything? Should he wait longer, should he do it now, would Namine be offended if he waited any longer?

_I was so close to telling him the day before he died…But everything was different then. Treep…_He paused, slowing his sprint until he had halted, almost falling over. Biting his lower lip, he blinked away the tears, pushing away the anguish mixed with hatred. _Treep was nowhere near Chance…_He continued to run, his uncertain thoughts causing him to run faster than he had before. _How much has actually changed? He's still the same as Cenchax…But still, it's…_

_Can I really do this?_

With Treep here, Chance might not care about him. Roxas knew that they had been closer than ever, and he had shared more kisses with the multi-colored-haired boy in the last month than he'd care to admit. Chance seemed just as fond of him, but whenever Treep was nearby, Roxas was lucky to get a word in edgewise. Treep had been Chance's world, and still seemed to be. Even though not even Treep could understand what Chance saw in him…There certainly was something.

So, would Roxas's care help, or just hurt the situation? Would Chance feel like he was betraying Treep, or would he be glad to have someone help forget about Treep? The blonde grit his teeth, eyes closing. He should know this! He knew Chance better than anyone else! The answers should be obvious, so why WEREN'T they?

He skidded around the corner, only to run face-first into a firm torso, feeling as though he had smashed his nose beyond repair.

"Roxas!" He didn't even need to look up to know who it was. He knew that voice better than anyone else's voice. He tensed up, not daring to move a muscle. Slowly, in an almost horrified fashion, he lifted his head off of his chest and turned up, his nose almost brushing against Chance's lips. The boy stared back down at him, perplexed by the boy's nameless fears. A light pink appeared on one cheek, travelling to his nose, only to disappear under his overgrown bangs.

"Are you alright, dude?" he asked, pulling away awkwardly. "You look like you just saw a swarm of Heartless!"

_I might as well have…_Shaking himself off, he grinned, pushing away his thoughts. Chance was there. That was enough for Roxas not only to be joyful, but for his heart to beat faster. As much as he cared about Namine, even if she had been there before Chance…He knew, for now, where his loyalties lay.

"Just thinking about an algebra test I have tomorrow, and how much I have to study for it…!" Roxas exclaimed as a cover-up. It wasn't exactly a lie; he DID have a tough quiz in algebra tomorrow. But it wasn't the exact truth. But admitting that his heart belonged to Chance…! It was a bit too much at the moment…He needed more time to think.

Chance let out a laugh. Roxas really liked Chance's laugh. It came from his chest, but still felt airy and warm. He didn't have one of those awkward laughs that some cute girls had. It sounded natural, smooth, and flawless in a sense.

"Well, good luck, Roxy!" Chance exclaimed, patting the boy on the back. Sparks flew at the contact. Roxas gulped. Where he was in his relationship…He was comfortable, he was happy...Was it really worth it to try and get closer? Would it ruin anything?

"So, where are you heading?" the boy asked, changing the subject to keep the conversation going. Another trait Roxas admired; Chance never let a conversation drop. There was never a moment of silence when someone talked to Chance; he knew exactly what to say to keep that from happening.

…Unless Treep was there…Oh, god, Roxas wasn't sure what to do…!  
>"I was going to go and chase down Axel and beg him to give me a ride home," Roxas explained. Chance snorted in amusement. Roxas began walking in the direction of the cafeteria, Chance matching his strides.<p>

"Miss the bus?"

"Well, OBVIOUSLY," he joked. This warranted another snort from Chance.

"Any particular reason why?"

Roxas slowed his walk slightly, frowning slightly. Chance leaned away to get a better look at the boy's face, confused. The fresh memory replayed in Roxas's mind. He could still feel the smoothness of her cheek, and the scent of her hair seemed to waft into his nostrils…

"I was talking to Namine…"

"Oh…!" Uncertain on whether or not to let the topic drop—Roxas's tone suggested that he didn't want to talk about it—Chance hesitated before asking, "Was it private?"

"Well, yes, but…" Keeping secrets from Chance just didn't work out for Roxas. Chance knew everything Roxas was guilty of; the times he had copied off of his friend's homework when he had forgotten his own, the cookies he had stolen from Sora's lunch…and especially his on-off relationship with Namine. The only thing he had managed to keep from Chance was his affections, which was something he never could understand.

"You don't have to talk about it, dude!" Chance insisted. "If it's a touchy subject—!"

"She asked if I wanted to go on a real date with her…" Chance had never really had an opinion on Roxas's split loyalties. He seemed neutral, since he hadn't asked Roxas to commit in the first place. But was that fair to Chance? And how would he react to this piece of news?

"Oh…" Disappointment. That was the reaction. His shoulders drooping along with his tone, he sighed, almost as if to say, 'I've seen this coming all along…' Roxas winced. He really seemed depressed…And at the notion that Roxas was taken by Namine. Was this a sign that he should tell Chance of his feelings?

At least, he could reassure Chance that he was still single. "I…I said no, though…" Chance jumped back up, his single eye widening, staring down at Roxas. The golden-haired boy could tell Chance was trying to hide his enthusiasm and relief, but masking it with curiosity wasn't the solution.

"What? But, why?" Roxas turned his head away, unsure of how to answer. When he wasn't looking, Chance winced, continuing, "I thought…I thought you liked her…"

Roxas let out an exasperated sigh. "Well…Kinda…I guess, but…I didn't feel like I wanted to be with her like that. I wasn't ready, and…Something stopped me…"

Uh-Oh.

"What stopped you?"

Uh-Oh, Uh-Oh, Uh-Oh…! Red alert, red alert. Roxas realized, too late, that he was giving away a tad too much. Turning scarlet, he turned away, murmuring, "N-Nothing…I-I just didn't want to ruin or friendship…" _I love you, I love you, I love you…_The three words wouldn't stop repeating in his head. _I love you, I love you, I said no to Namine because I want to be with you, I love you, I love you…! _How badly those words wanted to spring out of his throat…!

"Um…Okay…" In one of those rare moments, Chance ran out of things to say, if only for a few moments. They were almost at the cafeteria now, Chance trying to change the subject, Roxas trying to figure out what to do.

"Hey, Roxas, if you wanna hitch a ride with me, we could go home together!" Chance offered, finally finding something to say. Another trait he loved about Chance; the boy's selfless kindness. Was there anything he didn't like about Chance?

Glancing him over for flaws, Roxas's eyes locked momentarily on Chance's black-and-white wristbands. _Oh…Yeah…That…_

_Could I honestly stop that?_

"Really?" Roxas asked, able to look at Chance again. "Are you sure it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

Chance closed his eyes in friendliness. "Not at all! Sides, I think Axel's thinking of swinging to Burger King or something instead of going right home, dude. If you have that test tomorrow, you should study!"

"Stu…Oh, yeah, right…" Roxas murmured, forgetting about that. Shaking his head in an attempt to shake off his dark thoughts, his expression brightened, and he exclaimed, "Thanks, Chance!"

Chance beamed back at him. The two continued on in silence, walking to Chance's car. It was a cheap piece of scrap metal; 1997 white Nissan Altima, which, to Chance's credit, was in pretty good condition, considering he had crashed it on several occasions. It wasn't his fault; even if he was a responsible driver, the boy just had a knack for attracting dangers. Up until Roxas had stepped into the front seat of the car, the thought of asking the boy to go on a date with him had erased itself from his mind. But, being alone with Chance in such a small space made the proposal jump back into his thoughts.

He spent the car ride debating, barely speaking to Chance, unable to keep a conversation up. For the most part, Chance just gave up trying to communicate, concentrating on driving across town.

_Should I say it?_ He glanced at Chance. _It might be a mistake…_He looked away. _But, what if he really needs me? _He glanced back. _But what if he doesn't? _He looked away. _But he loves me…He's told me…What do you have to lose? _He glanced back. _You could lose everything…especially Chance…_He looked away. This continued for the entire car ride. He listed all that could go right and all that could go wrong. He went over every instant he had spent with the boy, analyzing his every movement, trying to read within them what he should do. Zexion's words as well as Namine's played over and over again in his mind.

_"Roxas, there are so many things we tried…We tried talking to him, listening to him, begging, leaving him be…What else can we do?"_

_"You aren't doing any good looking after him from the sidelines. Go to him. Be with him. Help Chance, for everyone. I'll always be there for you, but…He needs you a lot more than I do."_

"Roxas? We're here…" Chance's voice brought him back to reality. Roxas jumped up, sucking in a breath. Glancing over at Chance, he realized that his paralyzing eye was observing every little movement Roxas made. Conscious of this, Roxas unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and proceeded to the black building, aware of Chance walking next to him.

_What do I do…?_

It was still silent as they walked through the door, up the stairs, and to Roxas's room, which was right next to Chance's. The boy smiled at Roxas, eye closing again.

"Good luck studying!" Chance exclaimed, saluting the blonde.

_What do I do what do I do whatdoIdo? _Do nothing and see how things play out, content with just his friendship? Wait a little longer to for better judgment? Admit his love? Start slow?

Chance began to turn away, to his own room. Roxas spent a long time observing the boy's backpack; it was brown with black zippers, plain except for a few ribbons tied to the top of it; the ones Chance would wear around the teachers who disapproved of his neck tattoo.

He remembered, long ago, he had visited Notre Dame, peeking in on a teenager Quasimodo, only to see his gargoyle friends speaking to him about whether or not Quasimodo should make something for Frollo's birthday. He recalled the eldest one—Roxas believed its name was Laverne—saying to the hunchback, "_Quasimodo, doing something for a cause, even if nothing works out, is better than not doing anything at all…_"

It became clear what he had to do.

_Doing nothing isn't helping Chance! _Lunging forward, he felt his chest tighten in anxiety. _Here goes practically everything…_

"Wait…Chance!" he called out, reaching out to grip Chance's bicep. The boy paused, looking back at Roxas in bewilderment.

"Hmm?" Turning back to Roxas, Chance looked down at him. "What's on your mind, dude?"  
>"There…There was another reason I didn't want to go out with Namine…" Roxas muttered, his face flushing. <em>Straight to the point. Just get straight to the point, get it over with, and face the consequences…<em>

"There was?"

Roxas, pausing for only a second, reached forward and took Chance's hand, aware of the boy's shock at his actions. He felt the mocha-eyed boy's blood rushing through his veins, causing his skin to pulse.

"Yes…There was. It was because…" He gulped, staring into Chance's eye sheepishly, but with determination. "It was…because I wanted to be with you…" He flinched slightly, awaiting whatever reaction Chance chose.

He dared to sneak a glance at the mocha-eyed boy. His eye was huge, a dark blush crossed his face, and he seemed to slowly inch closer, the throbbing of his heart almost audible. "WHAT? Roxas…!" he breathed, lifting a hand to his chest and gripping the clothing over his heart, still trying to process the information.

Roxas didn't let the boy fully let the information sink in. Boldly, he reached for Chance's other hand and brought them to his chest, eyes pleading, yet hopeful. "Chance, I know so much has changed, I don't know how you feel anymore, and I know that everything will be even more different if we do…But, do you…Do you wanna go out with me? We could go out this Saturday…" His voice slowly got smaller, until he was practically leaning away, shyly whispering, "I…I hear 'Vampires Suck' is still out…"

Chance gaped at him, the blush remaining on his face. The disbelief hung in the air for such a long time. Doubt seemed to cross his face; Roxas could see the boy was honestly thinking over this. Forcing himself closer, Roxas murmured, "Chance, I honestly don't know how much, but I do know I really like you…I can't stand to see you hurt, and I know I caused some of it…" His eyes turning desperate, he added, "Let me help you…Let me be there…Just give it a try…"

Chance kept staring at him, finally reaching a decision. _Please…_He had just thrown away everything, every piece of denial, every moment of doubt, every little speck of foreboding, and confessed to the boy. Roxas could only sit back and wait to see if it had been a fatal mistake.

"Roxas…I…I…" Tears sprang from Chance's eyes. It was too much. He threw his arms around the blonde, exclaiming, "YES!" Laughter bubbled from the boy, as he continued to exclaim, "YES, YES, YES…Yes, Roxas, yes!"

If there was ever a time when the blue-eyed teen could've fainted with absolute adoration, it would've been then and there.

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AW SNAP, ROXAS DID IT. :D

Feel bad for Namine, though, she loves him.

The entire thing with the Notre Dame remembering scene…Well, first of all, it goes along with the Kingdom Hears theme that the worlds affect the people as much as the people affect the worlds, but it has more to do with the fact that I was obsessing with the movie at the time and wanted an excuse to squeeze a reference to it in somewhere…XD

And I still have to figure out what grades everyone's in…^^;

But now you have the general theme of the rest of the story! ^^

So…Now what? (BTW, Chance honestly has that car. It's not a random car. So if you see a white Nissan, assume Chance is driving it and peer creepily at the driver.)

~Cat's Eye


	3. Something Funny

Sorry this chapter's a bit late; I've been yutzing around all weekend, doing NOTHING…D: And I would've put it up yesterday, but I had a wet cat and an un-emptied dishwasher to attend to, and homework…

I feel so wasted…And I'm also concerned; yesterday I woke up with a vague memory of having a dream where I hated everyone and everything, my cell phone was missing, and my DS was sprawled under the covers with no charge and the pen gone…And I don't have any memories of last night after brushing my teeth…

Strange indeed…

AS FOR THE STORY…The chapters might seem like they aren't really tied together, and that's because, in truth, they are not. Most of them were random plot ideas I pulled from people online, and I just submitted the chapter.

ESPECIALLY this one. This one…doesn't flow well, and is a little out-of-place at times.

Still, I hope it amuses you. :3

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

I also don't own Ciel, Nissan, or 'Vampires Suck'. They all belong to their respected owners.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance, Nathan, and the briefly mentioned Treep. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 3: Something Funny**

(Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to FlamingSerpent, for giving me the title! ^3^)

"So…Um, Roxas…?"

The blonde looked up to see that Chance was striding down the hallway towards him, a slight pink on his face, and his hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. A flush of emotion flew through Roxas's veins. Yesterday, he and Chance had finally agreed to be together. He even kissed him. They hadn't spoken since, but the air of the hallway was easy enough to read.

The mocha-eyed boy tentatively reached down and grasped Roxas's hand, as if he still couldn't believe he could do this whenever he wanted to. "Yes, my Chencha?" the boy crooned, trying to ease the mood by using his pet-name for his friend; even though Chance had dropped his Organization name, Roxas still called him by his nickname. The black-haired teen seemed slightly more relaxed after hearing this, but his shoulders were still bunched up nervously.

"W-Well…You know how…Well, you know that we…Well, you…And I…"

"We're dating now?" Roxas asked dryly, chest fluttering. He simply raised an eye brow at it, however, as to not arouse suspicion from his interest. Truth was, he still could hardly believe it himself, and could barely believe how much happier Chance looked already. The memory of yesterday replayed in his head.

_"Let me help you…Let me be there…Just give it a try…"_

_Chance kept staring at him, finally reaching a decision. "Roxas…I…I…" Tears sprang from Chance's eyes. It was too much. He threw his arms around the blonde, exclaiming, "YES!" Laughter bubbled from the boy, as he continued to exclaim, "YES, YES, YES…Yes, Roxas, yes!"_

_If there was ever a time when the blue-eyed teen could've fainted with absolute adoration, it would've been then and there. Roxas let out an exasperated breath of absolute awe, flinging his arms around Chance. Chance rocked the blonde back and forth, the adoration rolling off of the two breaking the limits of their emotions. Roxas wasn't quite sure how it happened, but all of a sudden, he and Chance had their lips pressed up to each other, almost in a viciously passionate manner, bringing themselves closer and closer, Chance groaning in pleasure. Despite having kissed him in the recent past several times, there was an affection that seared through him that made him sure that this time was so much different; it meant so much more for each of them. Time seemed to stop for a few hours, as Roxas pressed his lips against Chance's at different magnitudes, as if he were experimenting every kiss he could possibly imagine in just a few short seconds. _

I love him so much…And he loves me too…_Just thinking about that sent a course of energy through his limbs. He didn't have to admit to Chance today. Fast motions weren't Roxas's style, nor were it Chance's. He could take things slow; after all, why rush what could turn into such a beautiful relationship? If everything went fine for the first few months, then maybe they could take it a little further…?_

_For now, he was content with just grabbing onto Chance's hair as he slowly felt himself lose control. Before he even knew what he was doing, he had opened his mouth, moaning in greed as he licked Chance's lips, begging for access. Chance began to open his lips, groaning louder. All of a sudden, however, his eye flew open, his face turning scarlet. The heat from Chance's face alerted Roxas, and his eyes jolted open just as Chance was pulling away, panting slightly, a small trail of drool falling from his lips. Roxas blushed; a bit humiliated that he had actually tried something like that. He remembered the two had backed away from one another, staring in disbelief. Chance let out a small laugh, blushing nervously, though there was little more he could do to add to the scarlet flushing his face._

_"Um…G-G-Good luck studying, R-Roxas…!" he has murmured, trying to turn away in a hurry. Roxas stared after him as the boy continued to his room. The boy hesitated right before getting to his door. Thinking for only a moment, he was turning on his heels a moment later, bolting over to Roxas and tugging that boy's head into his lips, murmuring through a mouthful of hair, "Youdon'tknowhowmuchIloveyourightnow…!" The scarlet-faced boy was gone a moment later, running off before Roxas could even fully process the action._

_There would be no studying that night. Just lying across his bed and staring at his ceiling in wonder._

He couldn't tell what the boy was thinking of at the time, nor could he tell what the boy thought of their relationship status now that he had processed the information. He couldn't even tell what he thought about Treep now, but regardless, Chance was looking brighter, and they had only kissed...

"Like…Well, yeah, that…" Chance stuttered. "Well…Um…We…We haven't really gone out yet, have we?" Turns out, the movies this weekend were all sold out for 'Vampires Suck', so Roxas had to text Chance late last night to cancel. _Damn that movie for being so popular…_

"Yeah, point being…?" Roxas asked, leaning in with anticipation. He knew what was coming. It was only natural, seeing as they were together now. But he still needed to hear those words, still wanted to see if Chance was really going to go through with this…

"Do you thi—Do you wa—I mean…" At this moment, their slate-haired friend turned the corner, a huge pile of books in his arms, and beheld the scene in front of him. Surprised, he walked up to hear what the two were talking about.

"I mean, maybe we could—Do you wa…" The sentences kept breaking off in the beginning, Chance's face getting less red and more of a sickly forest color, as though he were making himself sick by being so tense. Even without knowing about what had happened last night—neither Roxas or Chance had spoken of it yet—Zexion could grasp the situation. He rolled his eyes, and raised a hand to Chance's back as the boy continued to stutter.

"Do yoUWANNAGoonadatethisSaturday?" the boy started, shouting as the hand made contact with his back. The stutter turned into a small shout, eyes widening. His hands flew up to his lips. The sick color faded, replaced by a deeper shade of scarlet than he was earlier. Roxas's face turned pink. Finally. Those beautiful words, strung together in a sentence. The shorter boy, seeing his work here was done, smirked, and continued off to whatever class he had next, as though nothing had happened. _Reminder: Thank Zexion when I get home._

"Our…first date…" Roxas breathed, barely able to hide his excitement. And, in all honestly, if he wasn't in a rumor-hungry school surrounded by gossipers, he would've proclaimed it loud and proud. Praise Kingdom Hearts, Chance was asking him out! He couldn't even come close to expressing how much adoration he felt for the boy right now! It was almost as though hearts were swirling around the mocha-eyed boy, making sappy kissy faces at him and goo-goo eyes!

Chance's eye widened, having detected the amount of joy in Roxas's voice. "Y-Yeah…I mean, like…Just dinner or something…I mean, I know, we're supposed to date, but I don't know if you…well, you know, busy tonight…And y-you don't have to go, I mean, it's alright if you say—"

"Chance, of COURSE I'll go!" Roxas interrupted mid-sentence, though the boy kept rambling on, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

"—no, I mean, there are tests to study for and stu—WHAT?" he shrieked finally; Roxas's words had taken a few more moments to process, but at least they got into his thick skull.

"Of course I will! I want to go out with you more than anything in the world right now!" Roxas murmured. He looked down shyly, bunching up his shoulders and blushing, a timid smile on his face. "I was wondering if you were ever going to ask today…"

Chance opened his mouth, then closed it. It looked almost like the time Vexen had accidentally poured ice all down the black-haired boy's shirt. "S-so, you…Wanna meet up on Saturday f-for dinner?"

"YES!" For the love of all things Chance held sacred, YES!

Chance stood there, a shocked expression glued on his face. Roxas stood there giggling, waiting for what the black-haired boy would say next. A grin slowly began on the mocha-eyed boy's face, stretching out farther and farther as his enthusiasm level grew higher and higher, till he was beaming enough to blind. He let out a small shout of joy and threw his arms around the bubbly boy. "GREAT! I…FANTA…I…!" he exclaimed breathlessly, almost as though no words could possibly be enough to thank the boy. He seemed so full of glee he was almost laughing at it. Roxas just giggled in Chance's arms, turning redder. Suddenly, a single mocha-eye augmented and he pulled away, startled. Chance seemed to remember they were in a school hallway, and was suddenly self conscious of all the weird stares people were giving him and Roxas. He blushed, though not quite as dark as he had before. Taking a step back from Roxas, he rubbed the back of his neck again, looking away.

"Um…Yeah, w-well, so I'll…I'll come by your room a-at 7 tomorrow night…?"

The sky-eyed teen nodded vivaciously, an idiot's grin stretched across his face. His skin tone had dimmed down to a light pink, though it was clearly still flushed.

"G-Great! Well…I-I'll see you after class!" Chance stepped forward again and leaned down, as though to kiss Roxas, but hesitated, face reddening and pulling away. Whatever he had wanted to do, he was suddenly having second thoughts. "Er…Um…" he muttered, frozen on the spot.

It didn't take long for Roxas to piece together what Chance was about to attempt. Roxas, giggling again, and took Chance's hand, guiding him down the hallways and through a set of double doors. Behind those doors was an empty staircase, not a soul on any of the steps. Roxas brought Chance underneath the stairs, aware of Chance's confusion. Taking advantage of this befuddlement, he leaned up and quickly pecked the suicidal teen on the cheek. It was a long way to go for such a simple motion, but it was worth a little extra effort, if only to keep this on the down-low for a day or two more. He then trotted down the double doors again, his chin in his hands as he giggled.

"See you later, cutie!"

Chance just followed Roxas with his gaze, frozen on the spot. The most ridiculous love-sick face was plastered to his face, and according to his classmates, it remained on his face for practically the rest of the day.

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Roxas skipped down the apartment hallways, practically floating as though he were everyone's Superior. So what if he had to do some house chores? So what if he had a patrol to do still? So what if he had to track down Axel and force him to do homework? All of those were petty and insignificant things compared to seven tonight. Because, at seven tonight, he was going on a date with Chance! Something he had always hoped for and prayed that he'd someday have, and here it was, finally, within his grasp!

He was so merry that he almost didn't notice when he rounded the corner and bumped into a chest made out of what appeared to be iron, but was actually just extremely toned skin. Letting out a small, 'OMPH!' he winced upon impact. Then, he looked up to see who or what he had crashed into. One look at the mass of pink on top of said person's cranium was enough to tell Roxas everything he needed to know. Marluxia stared down at the boy, eyes widening. Behind him, Larxene craned her head over his shoulder, to peek down at the shorter Nobody.

"Hmm? Roxas?" the pink-haired man questioned in his ever-so-angelic tone. "Why do you look like someone just shared a paopu fruit with you?"

It might've well just been that, for the amount of bliss showering off the boy. Blushing, he looked away with a secretive smile on his face, murmuring, "Well…Not exactly…"

The blonde behind the boy's eyes widened, their aqua glow shining with shock. Too late, Roxas realized his mistake. "OH MY HEARTLESS, don't tell me…!" she shrilled, jumping up in front of her masculine friend. "Chance asked you out on a date?"  
>Roxas's head flew up, blushing darker. His blue eyes were huge with fright. "WHAT? No! I mean, YES, but…Well, yeah, but…It wasn't exactly—!" he stuttered, too late again realizing that he had let out what he had been trying to hide. So much for keeping their relationship on the down-low. Both adults in front of him gasped. Then, the turned to each other, and jumped, holding each other's hands. Whatever words he wanted to say were lost in their shouts.<p>

"LARXENE, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!"

"OH MY GOD, MARLUXIA, NO WAY!"

"YOU WERE THERE!"

"WE BOTH ARE!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Roxas had never feared those two anymore than he just had right now. All of his bliss from before had abandoned him, leaving him with confusion and all-out terror.

"Roxas, do you have any idea what this means?" Marluxia asked, placing his hands urgently on Roxas's shoulders. He was so caught-up in excitement that he had completely dropped his masculine tone and had adopted his other, higher-pitched voice.

"I-It means that we're…going out on a date…?" Roxas muttered, leaning back in intimidation and turning his head away, though he kept a slightly suspicious eye on the feminine man. Suddenly, Larxene was bent over so his face was in hers, forcing his eyes to lock on her.

"Well, that too, but it also means we have to dress you up all pretty!" the blonde crooned.

"W-WHAT?"

"Oh, it won't be anything much!" Marluxia added, leaping up, putting a hand on his hip and flipping his other hand over in a sign of dismissal. "Just a few bows, a simple design, maybe a corset…!"  
>"C-C-CORSET?" Roxas squeaked, flustered. One of his inter-dimensional friends, Ciel Phantomhive, couldn't even look at that word without cringing! Roxas had tried asking him what it was, but Ciel just kept repeating, 'It's too painful…! So…tight…!' Did he mean the corset or the memories? Or BOTH? And what did he mean by, 'tight'? What were these two trying to do to him? "N-NO WAY! I-I got chores to do, a-and a patrol to do, and homework—!"<p>

"Aw, dump all that on someone else!" Marluxia dismissed, flipping his hand at the notion.

"But—!"

"But nothing, Roxy!" Larxene continued to croon, pinching his cheek, "Don't you want your first real date with Chance to be special? You can't have that if you aren't in the right clothing!" Standing upright, she threw her arms in front of her, exclaiming, "I mean, where are you two even going?"

Roxas opened his mouth to answer, only to realize that he himself had no idea. "EXACTLY!" Marluxia exclaimed. "And, as I always say…!"

Roxas's eyes widened as he saw identical looks cross the two's faces. It was the look of a fox that worked for the Devil himself.

"You can under-dress…But never over-dress…!" the pink-haired man continued, a demonic tone obscuring his voice. Roxas gulped nervously. He had a funny feeling that he no longer had a choice.

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"Hello, thank you for calling the Fantom's Inn Restaurant, where haunts scare high prices away, how may I help you?" a bright and cheery voice called in on the other line.

"Um…Hi…I'd…I'd like to call in a table for Saturday night?" he murmured nervously. He wasn't sure whether he should be doing this or not, seeing as he still hadn't wrapped his mind around the idea that he was taking Roxas out on a date, but it seemed appropriate enough to do.

"Alright, at what time?"

After a quick estimation as to how far his apartment complex was from the restaurant, he answered, "Seven-thirty."

"Any preference for seating?"

"Preferably a booth, in an relatively deserted area…"

"First date, huh honey?" He could almost see the thirty-something waitress raising an eyebrow at him.

Blushing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I just don't want to make a spectacle of anything…"

"Alright, well, good luck with that! And thanks for making a reservation at the Fantom's Inn Restaurant!" A second later, she hung up. He put his cell phone down, fell back onto his bed, and sighed. He had two more days…Always time to call back and cancel.

He turned around and looked himself down in the mirror. He was trying out outfits for Saturday, but having much difficulty. On him was an uncomfortable, gray suit, red tie, stiff collar, and very pointed shoulders. He looked himself over, feeling a bit embarrassed at the attempt to tie his hair back into a ponytail. He turned to the only other occupant in his room, who lay across his bed. "Aright, Nat, how do I look…?" he asked, stretching out his arms with difficulty.

The beast lifted his head, snorted, then turned his nose at it, expressing his distaste with his thoughts. Chance sighed. Back to the drawing board…

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"THIS HURTS SO DAMN MUCH!" he cried out as the strings were drawn tighter and tighter around his torso.  
>"Roxas, settle down!" the man snapped, as though trying to console him. But the pain in his lungs couldn't be consoled.<p>

"BUT YOU'RE PULLING THE STRINGS TOO TIGHT!"  
>"They're SUPPOED to be tight! It'll fit the dress better!" the man snapped again, grabbing another set of strings to tug.<p>

"I DON'T WANT TO!" he screamed. "LET ME GO!" He squirmed and tried to get away, but his tormentor's assistant helped hold him in place.

"You're going to wear the dress, the bow, the tights, down to the shoes, and YOU ARE GOING TO LIKE IT!" With the woman's exclamation, the strings were drawn even tighter, causing him to cry out again in pain.  
>"OWOWOWOWOW! I HATE YOU!"<p>

"You won't when this is over!"

"Owowowow…" He couldn't breathe…He couldn't breathe…His eyelids began to droop.

"…Marly, honey, loosen it, THE KID CAN'T BREATH!"

"Oh, SH—!"

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Chance actually was at Roxas's room almost twenty minutes before the date. He paced back and forth, almost wearing the carpet down, nibbling on his fist. A light pink covered his face as he pondered. Should he really do this? Was he really going to go for this? Something HAD to go wrong tonight, right? Maybe he should just cancel the entire thing…Call the restaurant, talk to Roxas…That was the most logical thing to do. Tell Roxas something came up in the last second, leave, and never bring up the topic ever again. Maybe even say he needed more time to think about their relationship. It was safer, less could go wrong…

In the hallway, heels clicked against the floor stiffly as a blonde attempted to maneuver himself to his bed room, to wait unhappily for a certain somebody to take him out on his dream date. _Ciel's right…Corsets ARE tight…!_ He sighed, obviously in pain. _But, if those two demons are right, it'll make tonight special…_Though was special really worth the price of being unable to breathe properly? And why should he trust the Jesse-and-James duo who had pretty much cut off all his circulation and shoved him in this monstrosity of an outfit?

But it was too late to change; the clever duo had planned it out to last until it was barely fifteen minutes to seven; not nearly enough time to tear off the outfit he wore and still make the date. He sucked in a breath, and walked to his door. He could at least check himself over quickly before arriving at Chance's room early.

Just as he thought of a good excuse for not going on the date, the door slip open, a single golden spike poking through. Chance sighed, and closed his eye, placing his head on his forehead, frustrated with himself. A small gasp of what nearly sounded like agony greeted him.

"Look, Roxas, I just remembered, something's come uUUUUUUUUuuuu—!" Chance began, but cut himself off the moment his one-seeing opened. It flew open upon realizing that Roxas wasn't in his normal attire, accompanied by a flash of scarlet covering the black-haired teen's entire face.

Roxas stood in the doorway, eyes watering, hands clutching themselves behind his back, and front teeth clamped tightly over his bottom lip. Apparently, someone had gotten hold of him and dressed him up for tonight, for he did not seem to like the outfit one bit. First of all, though he had been put in one frequently, Roxas despised dresses.

The dress was primarily blue, with a low cut down to the top of his bicep that revealed his lean chest muscles. His shoulders were mostly exposed, not including small pieces of puffy black cloth circling his upper arm. A blue bow sat in the left corner of the dress. At the chest line, a blue ribbon drew around his abs, the tightness of the dress making it seem almost as though Roxas had a female's chest. The dress split in two there, to reveal a white undershirt, with several strings criss-crossing between the two split sides. A few inches below the waist, the dress cut into a blue-and-white checkered pattern, reaching down to his knees. He wore a pair of simple blue heels on his feet, and wore a blue ribbon in his hair. As a final touch, to make him seem just a little less exposed, he wore a simple black cloth necklace with a gold circle sitting dead center.

He was unable to control the fact that he was shaking, and that his breathes were all strained. But he looked too adorable for words. And his level of attractiveness increased as he managed to gasp, "I-I'm ready f-for our d-date, Ch-Chencha…"

There was a short silence in the room, interrupted by a small groan of pain from Chance. His hands flew up to his bright-red face and grabbed his nose, feeling the red, sticky liquid trickling out of his nose and through the cracks of his fingers. _So much for it being an urban legend…! Ow…_

Roxas's eyes widened, and stumbled forward, trying to rush to the bleeding boy. "CHA—!" In mid-step, his heel slipped from beneath him, and down he went, falling to the ground in an ungraceful heap of cloth and flushed skin. Chance stared down at him for a second, face getting redder as more blood trickled from his nose. An instant later, he was bounding out the door, shouting, "BERIGHTBACK!" Roxas sighed again on the ground, in more pain than he had been in originally.

Chance came back a few minutes with a towel pressed underneath his nose, trying to soak up the blood. Face still flushed, he held out a hand for Roxas; it was slightly reddish-orange, but he had evidentially tried his best to get the blood-stains off. Roxas managed to mutter, "Thanks…" as he took the boy's hand and hoisted himself up unsteadily onto his heels. He wobbled for a few more seconds, then turned back to Chance, who ducked his head to hide the fact that his nose was still bleeding. Roxas blushed at him, smiling awkwardly. A few moments later, Chance lifted the towel—there was less blood than Roxas had thought, but still a concerning amount—to reveal his nose had stopped bleeding. He wiped the rest of it off of his face onto a dry part of the towel. His face was finally cooling, which made the slight blood stains more obvious.

"Are…Are you okay…?" Roxas asked hesitantly.

"Y-Yeah…!" Chance muttered, looking Roxas up and down again. His face heated up when he realized what he was doing, and focused on keeping his gaze on Roxas's face. The sky-eyed boy looked himself over nervously.

"I-Is it too much…?" he asked timidly.

Chance gave him a small smile, and a short laugh, and, after a pause, murmured, "Honestly…Yeah, just a bit…" When Roxas's face fell, Chance added, "N-Not that it doesn't look good…I mean…" He sighed, and walked right in front of the boy, dropping the towel beside him and looking down at the Key of Destiny; even in the heels, the blonde was still an inch or so shorter. "Roxas, I…I care about you out because I think you're always cute, not because you look cute in a dress…"

Roxas's eyes widened slightly. "I love the dress and all…I mean…It's…It's adorable…!" the mocha-eyed boy managed, blushing again and ruffling Roxas's hair. The blonde giggled.

"But, dude, I didn't want to pressure you to dress like a chick…Remember, I'm gay. I like you as a guy, not a girl…"

Roxas hesitated, then murmured, "Is there time for me to take this corset off…?"

Chance smirked and muttered, "Yeah, please, do…And take those heels off before you hurt yourself, dude…!"

"But, will that make us late?" Roxas fretted, unwilling to have anything get in the way of something he had been waiting for such a long time for.

Rolling his eyes and blushing slightly, Chance muttered, "Roxas, I'd rather that we'd be three hours late, and you can MOVE properly, than have us be on time and you can't breathe…" Shooing him off with a flick of his hand, he muttered, "GO."

"HALLELUJAH!" Roxas cried out. Chance laughed and watched the boy pry off the heels. "I'll be back…!" he called, preparing to dash off to his room and pry off the corset, and…

Oh, wait…this was his room…Turning around, he stared at Chance, unsure of what to say. It took the boy a few moments to catch the drift. Blushing, he ran out of the room, exclaiming, "S-sorry…! Your room…I-I'll leave you be…"

"Wait…!" Roxas called out, reaching a hand. Chance skidded in to a halt just before he escaped the door-frame, turning back, slightly flustered. Blushing, Roxas ducked his head, grabbing his wrists behind his back, and rubbing his foot against the ground. "I…I don't think I can get everything off myself…"

Chance's face turned bright red, frozen in the doorway. "Could…Could you help me take it off…?" Roxas asked, leaning slightly away from Chance in embarrassment.

"Um…S-sure…" Chance muttered. He timidly walked over, observing Roxas pry the ribbon out of his hair and the collar off his neck, tossing them in a pile with his heels. He began struggling to get the dress down, but it was too tight around his chest, causing him to groan as he struggled in it. Chance lifted his hands to his nose again, praying that it wouldn't burst again.

"Here, there's a zipper on the back…" Chance muttered, walking behind the boy. He bit the bottom of his lip as his hand brushed against Roxas's skin, grasping the zipper and working it down until the dress was loose enough to wriggle out of. Roxas managed to get himself out of it on his own, tossing it into a corner. The only things he wore now was his underwear and the corset. Chance would've given anything to run away at this moment.

"Th-there are five strings, so I'll get…started…" The strings were tied to remain tight, but with just two or three tugs, Chance was able to undo them. As each string was released, Roxas let out another heave of relief, until he was panting heavily by the time the last string was undone. Roxas jumped out of that thing so fast it caused Chance to jump. He let out a small laugh of triumph. _FREEDOM! AT LONG LAST!_

Then, he looked down and realized what he was wearing. His face darkened. Quickly, he lifted up the edge of the dress before Chance looked over again, who sent a questioning look to the boy. "I-I need to change…That!" he squeaked awkwardly. Without being told what 'that' was, Chance was already bolting out of the room, face even darker than before. He sighed in relief. Then, without giving it much thought, he tossed the panties aside, put on a pair of normal boxers, and threw together a casual outfit—based on what Chance was wearing, they were just going to dinner at some local tavern or something.

A few minutes later, he was at Chance's door, and sighed. "Much better…" he murmured under his breath. He gave it a quick knock. A second later, the door opened, showing a still-sheepish Chance standing in the doorframe, one hand on the handle, one hand on the frame. "Hey, Chance!" Roxas exclaimed. He waited while Chance looked him over; he had picked out a long-sleeved white shirt with a black, gold, and blue pattern on it. A pair of dark skinny jeans, a black, zipper-up hooded sweatshirt, and his trusty gray-square shoes completed his outfit. He also wore his checkered armband and rings. Chance smirked as he took this in.

"Much better, dude…" he muttered. Roxas giggled lightly. He finally had the chance to see what Chance was wearing; a red undershirt, with a band name Roxas didn't recognize on it, a brown blazer with a fuzzy collar, loose jeans, and his usual black-and-red Nikes, along with a black ribbon around his beck, and his usual stripped armbands.

"So, where are we going?" Roxas asked eagerly, leaning closer to Chance. The boy backed a step away, holding his hands up in defense, closing his eyes nervously.

"Nowhere special, dude…" he muttered, "Just the Fantom's Inn…"

"Sounds great!" Roxas exclaimed, taking Chance's hand. The boy jumped slightly at the contact, but as they began to walk down the hallway, he managed to relax. "Come on, let's go!" Roxas continued in mid-stride. Just as he passed his room, he paused to turn off the light and closed the door.

Before leaving, he paused, gazing into the dark room, a thoughtful look on his face. He could just vaguely see the outline of the dress on the floor…Chance cocked his head to the side, looking over at him with a confused expression on his face.

"…Think it would be okay if…If I wore it some other day…" the blonde asked, blushing. Chance felt his face turn red yet again. "Y-you know…without the heels and the corset…?"

Chance paused, then muttered, "Umm…M-Maybe…I…I think I'd like that…"

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For the most part, their walk down the halls was in silence, except for the occasional remark. They mostly focused on getting out of the building unnoticed, which didn't prove to be too difficult. It was a Saturday night; everyone in the building was either out and about, or already settled down to do whatever they were to do for the rest of the evening. They walked to the parking lot, into Chance's Nissan, and waited for it to warm up. Chance sighed, leaning back his head.

"Least no one was there, dude…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Roxas turned his head to Chance, a question popping up in his mind. He had meant to ask it for earlier, but the chance never came up. He reached over and placed a hand over Chance's hand, just as the older boy was about to switch gears. Eyes widening, one mocha eye met with questioning blue.

"Hold on, Chance…I wanted to ask you something…" Roxas murmured. The boy didn't move his hand away, giving Roxas a small nod. Roxas scooted a little closer to Chance, determined to get an answer.

"I know we agreed to keep this low-key for a while, but…Why?" When they had spoken with each other the morning after they had gotten together, it had been Chance to first bring up that they try not to let their feelings be obvious. Roxas had agreed without a second thought at first but now…What did Chance really mean by that? Was he worried of what Namine would think? Or Treep, for that matter?

Whatever the reason, it caused Chance to tense up; Roxas felt the black-haired boy's hand grip even tighter to the shift-stick in his hand. Turning away, he turned a light pink, and for a few moments, Roxas didn't think he was going to get an answer.

Just before he was about to ask again, Chance sighed, murmuring, "I…I wanted to be sure this was real."

Roxas turned his head to the side, not quite understanding what Chance meant. "Real?"

Chance turned back to Roxas, eyes emotional. "I wanted to be sure that I wasn't just imagining all this, that this wasn't a dream…I wanted to be sure you were doing this because…" He turned his head away, shrugging as he added, "Well, because you felt bad for me, or you were told to, or something…" Turning back to Roxas, he began, "Everyone knows I love you, Roxas, and I just wanted to be su—" He was cut off as a pair of rich-colored lips pressed themselves against his own, eyes widening at the closed-eyed blonde in front of him. Roxas pulled away, eyes caring, yet still slightly annoyed.

"Chance, this is real…I really, REALLY like you," he breathed. "No one's telling me to do anything. I honestly…just want to be something more than friends…" He pat Chance's hands. Chance stared down at him, surprised. Roxas realized that he tended to make the first advances, while Chance ended up gazing at him with befuddled eyes. He briefly pondered over whether or not the relationship would always be like this…

But why worry now? And even if it was, he was satisfied by this. To see the tender look Chance sent him after the confusion faded made it worth it. Cheerily, Chance finally put his car in Reverse, and closed his eyes, saying, "Guess I was just being paranoid…!" He let out a small laugh.

"So, we should get going?" Roxas asked. He glanced at the clock. It was about five past seven.

"Hmm?" Chance hummed, glancing down at the clock as well. Eyes widening, he suddenly threw his seatbelt on, and turned the car around, exclaiming, "Shit, we're gonna be late…!" Roxas buckled up just in time before Chance was racing down the road, going faster than he usually tempted. Fear gripped Roxas's torso; if Chance were to crash at this speed…

"Ch-Chance…CHANCESLOWDOWN!" he cried out. The boy jumped at the shout, but slowly eased the car down to a comfortable speed. The muscles in Roxas's abdomen loosened, and he leaned back, sighing in relief.

"Sorry…I just don't wanna lose that table…" Chance muttered. Roxas looked over, smirking.

"So much for not caring about being late…" Chance laughed nervously at this one. "Chance, a table at a restaurant means nothing you we crash before we even GET there!" Chance let out another small laugh. "Sides, it just means I get to spend more time with you…!" he crooned, making faces at Chance with a slight blush on his face. Chance snickered, turning a color short of rose.

They kept up a small amount of chatter until they got to the restaurant. Once they were in the parking lot, they glanced at the time. It was twenty-six past seven. Chance sighed in relief.

"Made it…" He took the keys out and crammed them into his pocket. He jumped out the car door and rushed over to Roxas's side, getting the door. Roxas jumped out, dodging out of the way so Chance could close the door. Amusement lined his eyes.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting a car door, Chance," he teased. Chance rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"To be honest…I have no idea what to do, Roxas…" he muttered, his voice a little too sincere for a casual conversation, but a sheepish smile still on his face. "I've never been on a date before, so…" He trailed off, still unsure. Roxas walked to Chance's other side and took his hand, smiling encouragingly.

"Chance, I've never been on a date, either. Doesn't mean I'm afraid of doing something wrong every time I turn a corner!" Roxas exclaimed. Eyes softening, he continued, "We're supposed to have fun together. That's all that matters!"

Without giving Chance time to argue, he began to lead his date to the restaurant.

His date…

Those two words just went perfectly together didn't they?

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Roxas is a FUTURE CROSS-DRESSER AND YOU KNOW IT. :D

This honestly was a short-story idea I had in my collection of short stories that I just wanted to use. Such a nice first date, isn't it?

But, yeah, paranoid little Chance is having a little trouble believing Roxas…! –sigh- when will he learn?

And YES Ciel five-second cameo!

BTW, all of this was inspired by a doodle of Roxas in a dress. And just that. XP

~Cat's Eye


	4. Promise Me This

HERP.  
>I'm finally posting again, because I finished! :D I'll try to be good about posting it weekly, but no promises! Message me if I'm bad about it!<p>

This summer's also been really crazy and busy, and amazing, and wonderful.

And this is a disappointment of a chapter, since it's so short, so I'm sorry this is all you get. If anyone would like to see the next chapter as well today, I'm more than willing to post that too!

Hope you enjoy…?

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance and Rose, and the briefly mentioned Treep. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 4: Promise Me This**

"Wait, you two are DATING now?" their brunette friend exclaimed, eyes bulging out of his head. "When did THIS happen?" Monday lunchtime. That was when they finally decided to come out to their friends and say that they were dating. It was not only the first lunch they could think of; it was the lunch with almost all of their close friends, save a few who could find out from the grape vine.

Ducking his head to hide his blush, Chance muttered, "We got together on Thursday last week…"

"And you're telling us NOW?" their scruffy-blonde female friend asked, slightly hurt. Chance raised his hands defensively.

"W-We only went on a date last Saturday!" he stuttered nervously. "And we would've told you sooner, it's just, it was Sunday, and—"

Roxas, who had just gotten his lunch and was walking behind the fiasco, exclaimed, "Hey, leave my boyfriend alone!" with a quick eye-roll. Placing his tray beside Chance and glaring over at the Rose, he added, "And, honestly, it really isn't any of your business!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Roxas!" He turned to find Zexion glaring at him. "I guess none of us here really care about what happens to Chance at all! Apparently, only YOU are permitted to give a damn!" Cross, he muttered, "Regardless of what you think, we're all Chance's close friends, AND YOURS, might I add." Picking up his book, he buried his nose in it, concluding his little rant with, "We just want to be sure that you're both okay…" His tone had been sarcastically amused, but there was a darker overtone to it.

Roxas winced slightly. "Sorry, Zexion…"

"Oh, you apologize to HIM, but not to ME!" Rose snapped playfully. Roxas smiled sheepishly at her. Truth was, the only reason he had apologized to Zexion was because there was a certain threat behind his words.

_Make sure you keep Chance happy. If I find out you're hurting him…_

"Regardless of when or how or where…I just have to say…" Xion sighed, closing her eyes. Everyone looked over at her, curious as to what the black-haired girl's opinion was on the situation.

"FINALLY!" she exclaimed, socking Roxas in the arm. "They way he was mooning after you…" Leaning in, she hissed, "And you for him…" to which he blushed at. She finished with, "I was wondering whether you two would ever hook up!"

Chance groaned, planting his forehead on the desk, face red. Everyone snickered for a few moments.

"And you took your time telling your friends about it!" Rose added snidely, poking Chance in the side. Which reminded Roxas; there was a certain friend of his that he needed to go out of his way to tell, or he would never live this down. Jumping out of his seat, and ignoring the questioning shouts, he was already outside the cafeteria, racing down the hallways, passing the science wing, rushing up a set of stairs, and finding himself in the English wing. Quickly, he bolted down the hallways and bolted to room 185. He took a deep breath, then took the handle in his hands, and opened it.

Inside the room were a bunch of juniors, typing viciously on their computers. Roxas searched for the familiar head of flaming hair, spotting it in the middle of the room. Once he knew where his companion was, he walked up to the teacher and 'explained,' "I think I lost a binder in here somewhere, can I look around for it?"

The teacher—an amicable young man with a vivacious smile—nodded. Roxas pretended to be looking up and down the aisles, when he was truthfully taking a route to the ginger, who hadn't noticed him yet. Several other juniors lifted their heads to see, but then shook their heads, taking no note of him. Finally, just as he was a few feet away from the red-head, the boy finally noticed him, his brilliant green eyes widened as the boy ducked down to look under the computers.

"Roxas!" he exclaimed, keeping his voice at a low hiss. "What are you DOING here…?"

"Looking for a binder, Axel…" the blonde muttered in response, putting a piece of paper with a message on his lap. "Nothing more…" He stood up, walked back over to the teacher to say he had no luck, and was out the door.

He had barely begun to walk down the hallway before he heard a flurry of footsteps, and felt two arms wrap around his waist. He was spun around, until the room seemed to turn upside-down.

"ROXAS YOU LUCKY DOG!" Axel shouted out, as though they weren't outside a whole bunch of classrooms. Finally putting the boy down, he laughed, patting the boy on the shoulder, exclaiming, "So, you finally asked him out, didn't you!"

Pushing Axel's hand away, he smirked, muttering, "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner…We didn't want people knowing right away…"

Axel put up his hands in defense, exclaiming, "Say no more, say no more! You can explain tonight when I lock you in the garage until you tell me EVERYTHING!"

Roxas laughed. "That was the plan all along!"

"I'm glad great minds think alight!" Turning around, he leaned in to Roxas's ear, whispering, "I actually just took a bathroom pass, and I DO have to go, so…" He leaned back, extending a hand. With a smile, the two exchanged their secret hand-shake, then, with a final, congratulating hug, Roxas was off, cheerily trotting back to the lunchroom.

When he walked in, he realized the area around him was silent. Everyone's gaze was fixed on their food, but it was obvious that they kept glancing back at the suicidal sitting with them. Chance himself was staring down at his shoes, not touching his food. Roxas was beside him a moment later. Leaning over to Zexion, he muttered, "What happened…?"

Narrowing his eyes acidly, Zexion murmured, careful not to let Chance hear, "Treep just walked in to ask Rose about a homework assignment." He turned back to his book sadly. "He's in one of his moods again…"

It was clear that the others were trying to keep the atmosphere cheery, especially those who had been closer to Treep, and still tried to defend him. But with Chance gloomy, the rest of the table suffered, awkwardly making small talk, then just turning to their foods again, giving up. Roxas sighed, feeling the usual sting in his chest. _Chance is going to need someone whose there with him all the time…Just looking at Treep seems to set him off…_

He walked over to Chance and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. A dull, mocha eye looked up at him. Roxas gave him an encouraging smile. A small spark of light seemed to jump back into his eyes. Feeling that no words should be spoken, Roxas just leaned in and pressed his lips against Chance's forehead, briefly taking in the scent of the boy's hair. Chance looked up at him, eye gaining life. Without warning, Chance wrapped his arms around Roxas and buried his head in his shoulder, causing Roxas to jump. Everyone looked up, surprised at this sudden display of affection, but tried to brush it off, though the confusion and excitement was slowly replacing the melancholy mood.

A few minutes later, Chance pulled away; Roxas was jolted when he realized, with joy, Chance looked more like his old self, eye bright, a smile on his face. The depression he had sported just minutes ago was completely gone.

"Thanks, Roxas…" Chance muttered. With a start, Roxas realized that Chance had never had anyone to turn to like he could turn to Roxas before. Smiling brightly back at the boy, he watched, aware that everyone else was taking note of Chance's quick transformation, chatting happily with him again. Zexion caught Roxas's eyes and sent him a small wink, unable to hide his own glee. Roxas could've burst out laughing.

Chance was getting better because of this. He WAS helping the boy.

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Roxas pressed himself closer to Chance, pushing him against the couch just a little bit more. The boy ran his hands slowly across his back, letting out a small groan. Slowly, Roxas felt the boy finally give in to something a little more. He almost chuckled at how long it had taken Chance to start…

_"Hey, Chance!" he exclaimed, leaping over the couch and next to his boyfriend. Chance smirked at him, flipping through his history book._

_ "Hey, Roxy!" His chest fluttered as Chance used his pet name for him. The look in Chance's eyes told him that he was bored of doing homework all Saturday. Roxas leaned over and pressed himself against Chance._

_ "You're so boring with your doing homework all the time…!" he whined._

_ "I'm sorry! I'm behind in history, dude!" Chance exclaimed. He turned to Roxas. "If I don't keep my grades up, I'm gonna fall behind!" He lifted his finger and bopped Roxas on the nose. "Sides, if I do it all today, we can go rollerblading tomorrow!"_

_ "But I'm not bored tomorrow, I'm bored NOW!" Roxas groaned. He lifted himself off of Chance's shoulder and lay himself across the boy's lap. He felt Chance tense up, but relax, his attention still on his book._

_ "Really, Roxas, I just have a few more questions to answer…" he murmured._

_ "Aw, come on!" Roxas whined. Chance didn't reply, too engrossed with reading over the Industrial Revolution to pay Roxas much mind. He lay there for a while, however, gazing up with his best begging face, hoping to at least get a glance. Nothing. Sighing, he wormed his way up and put his head in front of Chance's view, smiling coyly. Chance jumped; taken out of his little world, face flushing as he realized how close Roxas was._

_ "R-Roxas…!" he stuttered. "I…I really need to get going…" Roxas kept smirking, forcing the book out of Chance's hand and letting it drop to the floor. Chance tried to reach out for it, but Roxas pushed him back, slowly easing him against the couch. "I-I have the history to finish up, then-then a paper to start, a-and math homework…" he kept stuttering, face getting darker and evidentially more distressed. His smile flickered, and he almost seemed to be sweating slightly. "I have a project and—!" He was cut off as a pair of lips sealed his own, pressing his head into the couch. Roxas place himself over Chance, maneuvering his lips over Chance's. Chance moaned in protest, trying to nudge away, but still glued in place. Roxas pulled away to find Chance gasping, face pink. "Roxas, r-really, I should really—" He was cut off again as Roxas kissed him again, feeling the boy slowly begin to relax. When he pulled away again, Chance was in a dream-like state, barely half-opening his eyes as he murmured, "Roxas…"_

_ "Just for a little while…" Roxas crooned. "You need to relax more! Study later…" Without giving time for Chance to object, he greedily pressed his lips against Chance's, unable to keep himself off of the electrifying pair. Chance lay almost unmoving underneath him, occasionally moving his lips against his own, or tilting his head…_

_ It really is going to be me taking all the steps…_As he pressed his lips against Chance again, deepening their kisses further, his heart racing faster and faster, the feelings of his love elevating…He found he didn't really mind.

Finally, Chance pulled himself up, pressing his torso closer to Roxas's. Roxas opened his eyes into narrow slits. Were things still going too fast? They weren't heading anywhere further than first base, but it almost seemed borderline…His hormones were acting up, making him almost wish they could go further…

A small voice in the back of his head piped up, _Roxas, you are SIXTEEN. Chance has been dating you for a WEEK. How much of an idiot do you think you are?_

He shrugged, contenting himself with gazing at Chance's face through slitted eyes, feeling the boy's hair, slowly working up the courage to…

Black and white caught his eyes. He opened his eyes further. They locked on Chance's wrists, still covered by the armbands. They looked a little budged, indicating that Chance had cut recently. He flinched.

…That had to stop. Roxas couldn't look at his wrists without feeling small needles of pain prick at his heart. With a small moan, he pulled away from Chance, murmuring, "Chance…"

The boy seemed not to take note of this, leaning back in for another kiss. Roxas felt himself being swept away in the intense adoration between the two. He shook himself; this had to be dealt with now. If he too k everything else slow, this alone had to be shoved along. He pushed Chance back on the couch, and pulled away, keeping himself an arms-length away from the boy's tempting face. "Chance, I need to ask you something…"

Chance looked up at him, wide-eyed and disheveled, even a little humiliated at what had just happened. Roxas leaned off and let Chance sit up, though he still kept himself close to Chance. "About what?"

"Can you promise me something?" Roxas asked, a serene light in his eyes. Chance slowly nodded, but hesitated before he was finished.

"What are you going to ask?" Chance inquired. Roxas sighed. He wriggled off of Chance and lay his back against the couch, Chance following suit a moment later. Roxas pressed himself close to Chance again.

"I know it's really difficult for you right now, and I know you're trying to change…" Gazing up into Chance's eye, he continued, "I know you've stopped writing in your journal, and you aren't trying to take your life…" He shuddered slightly. Chance wrapped an arm around Roxas, his chin in the boy's spiky hair.

"I'm staying here, Roxas…" he whispered. "As long as you want me to…"

Trying to ignore the second meaning of Chance's words, Roxas opened his eyes, gazing sadly at Chance's wrist bands. "But, do you think…For me…" He looked Chance in the eye and asked, "Could you stop cutting yourself?"

Chance stared down at him, uncertainty on his face. It seemed to be a lot to ask for the boy…"I'm always here if you need to let your pains come out, and it hurts me more to see you do that than it probably hurt you…" Roxas added, wincing. "I'd really like it if, so long as we're together, you'd stop doing that…"

Chance didn't answer for a long time. Roxas himself couldn't see why Chance was even debating this. Then again, Chance had been cutting his wrists for four or so years now. He had fallen into a habit, and was unsure about stepping outside his comfort zone. Besides, the boy still didn't seem at ease around Roxas; the moment just a few moments before when he had tenderly wrapped his arms around Roxas was a rather rare one. _Am I enough?_

Chance finally reached a conclusion. He smiled gently at Roxas, his eyes devoted only to him. "If it would make you feel better, I'll stop…"

Roxas felt his heart skip. He wrapped his arms around Chance's neck, sighing in relief. "I'm always there if you need someone to talk to…" Opening his eyes again, he added, "You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know," Chance murmured in reply. With swiftness, he pried Roxas off of him and gave him a playful push away. "And right now, I'm telling you that I need to do homework, dude!"

Roxas laughed, throwing his head back to let his mirth grow. It was working. Chance was getting better. Everything wasn't perfect, that was true. Chance was still depressed. He still wasn't over Treep. And, up until this point, he had still cut his wrists. But they hadn't even gone out for a week and Chance was already looking happier. And everyone was noticing, too. Even Treep was doing what he could; he was avoiding Chance whenever he could, but it was something…!

Now, all that was left was to tell Chance he loved him.

He hesitated before leaving, watching Chance pick up his notebook and his book from the floor, and getting lost in his studies again. If he said it now, could it help out more? Taking things fast seemed to be working, but what if he ran out of options too quickly? Wasn't it better to have a trump card just in case?

_I still shouldn't rush that…_With a shrug, and receiving a quick kiss on the cheek, he walked off, his own homework on his mind. _I don't think that just a week will do it…Maybe I should wait a while._

_Waiting can be good at times. Sometimes, it's the best option there is. In certain cases, however, the faster you move, the better, and it instead is the better path to chose. The problem is you can only choose one or the other, never both. And fifty-fifty chances always have that other side of the coin…_

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So, everyone else finds out! And CHANCE ISN'T CUTTING ANYMORE! YAY! :D Everything is wonderful and sunshiney and sparkly. Well, no, not really, Chance is still angsting, but it's still okay! :D

…I'm starting to realize, even THIS writing is dated. X_X

I have nothing else to say really! Bother me for the next part!

~Cat's Eye


	5. A Strange Day for a Cooking Disaster

SORRY THIS IS LATE. I've been distracted, and when I'm not distracted, I'm busy. X_X

So, this is a combination chapter! I had a few ideas for short stories that I decided I'd mash together into a chapter!

One of the plots is NOT mine; it's borrowed from a YouTube video. This is a kinda old chapter, and as I said, it was a short story I wanted to make work. I thought it would be a funny idea at the time, but it's up to you to decide that.

Yeah…I have nothing else to say! I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

I also don't own the idea for the prank. The name of the video is included in a note in the chapter.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 5: A Strange Day for a Cooking Disaster**

_It's almost twelve…Better find Roxas! _With this thought, he began trotting down the hallways, whistling a little tune with no exact melody. His heart felt lighter now, with Roxas dating him, to his immense joy. It still wasn't fully beating, as it shouldn't be; they had only started dating a week ago. And he didn't let his hopes get up. There was still the anchor in his chest, weighing him down, plus the memories of his past singing the present…

But, for now, at the very least, he was content, if not happy. Roxas was helping him so much, making him feel like he could live again, given more time. Maybe this was what he needed after all that time in the Nothingness alone…Could he finally be healed?

Being unaware before, he paused to listen to the commotion from the other room, a bit surprised. Sounded like pots and pans clattering, and dull thuds occasionally sounded on the floor, signaling something soft was dropped, or someone was scampering left and right across the tile. Curious, he walked through the doorway.

Roxas ran back in forth, dressed casually in a white shirt and his normal tan-black cargo pants. He wore black rubber boots, and, on top of it all, a light gray apron, red mitts, and a white chef's hat, hiding his spiky hair. Eyes wide, he bolted over stared down into the stir-fry pan, lifting a wooden spoon to shift things left and right. Sizzling filled the air, and the pungent fumes of spices, under-cooked meat, and burnt meat filled the room. Roxas turned his eyes to Chance, only to become even more distressed when he realized it was the boy he was dating. A humiliated blush crossed his face.

"I-I'm sorry, Chance…! I-I wanted to make you some lunch before our date, b-but…" He couldn't meet Chance's mocha gaze, and looked back down at the ruined food, crestfallen. "I dunno, I was making something like an enchilada, but when the chicken went in…I tried to make a stir-fry, then a burrito outta that, but…!"

Chance walked over, and stood behind Roxas, gazing at the food. Roxas had turned off the heat, but still, steam billowed upwards from the bunt chunks of whatever the boy had made. There were some pieces of charcoal that Chance couldn't identify, and assumed it was some sort of vegetable. Some of the bits of meat were undercooked, having not have touched the bottom of the pot enough to cook. The chef had apparently tried to salvage the taste with spices, but it just made a flaked mess all over the place. A few pieces of chicken looked safe enough to eat, but any normal person wouldn't have the guts to make it.

Roxas began tearing up. "I'm sorry…I just thought I could try doing something nice for you, seeing as you're such a good boyfriend to me…!" Chance usually was the one paying for dinner, seeing as he had picked up a higher-paying job nearby quicker than he though. Either that, or Chance usually cooked the meal, used to making food after living on his own for two years. And here Roxas was, trying to be a sweetheart when his chicken probably wouldn't be eaten by anyone who was normal.

However, Chance was not a normal person. He lifted his hand, reached down, and plucked a piece of chicken out of the clutter. Roxas opened his eyes enough to see Chance raising it to his mouth and popping it in. He chewed it for a few moments, mulling over the taste. Roxas winced, preparing for criticism.

Instead, Chance smiled, swallowing the chunk. "Actually, it taste really good!" he exclaimed, patting the boy on the back. Roxas whipped his head around, blush darkening in surprise. Chance leaned in and gave Roxas a small, shy kiss on the lips, feeling both his blood and Roxas's blood start rushing. He pulled away, putting his hand under Roxas's chin to hold the boy in place. "That was really sweet of you…" Chance crooned. Looking back at the food, he murmured gently, "I don't think there's enough there for the two of us to eat, so why don't we go to Wendy's or something before we go out?" Smirking at the boy with closed eyes, he added, "And maybe, next time, I'll help you make that stir-fry?" Then, he snatched another piece of chicken, and walked out of the kitchen, tossing this one up in the air to catch into his mouth.

He waited patiently outside the kitchen, waiting for Roxas to finish cleaning up. He sighed, rolling his eyes at the clatter of pots and pans. He really wished he could fully believe that Roxas liked him. Part of him did. Part of him still wasn't sure he was ready to accept this. There was always the chance that the guilt Roxas was carrying was so strong…

He was spared from thinking of that grim topic when Roxas skidded outside the door. He tripped over himself as he tried to dodge around the corner, barely keeping enough balance to stay on his feet. One arm was in a black hoodie, while the other struggled to get in. He sprinted over to Chance just as soon as his arm had fully wedged its way into the cloth, and bowled into the boy, almost knocking him down. The black-haired teen laughed at his date's antics.

"Roxas, slow down! The car's not gonna move on its own!" Chance laughed.

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"Then again, maybe it will…"

The two stared, dumbfounded, at the empty spot in the parking lot. Once, it had held Chance's white car. Now, it was empty. Chance reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys. Roxas looked over, thoughtful.

"Think they may have taken the spare?" he asked, indicating that Chance only had two keys for his car, one that was with him.

"No, after I lost the spare for a month, I locked it in my safe…" Chance murmured. He put the keys back in his pocket, and sighed. "Least I didn't have anything in the car…"

Roxas twitched his head, sending Chance a stern, skeptical look. "Chance, I don't know if you've noticed, but someone STOLE your car. Aren't you even a LITTLE worried?" he fretted.

With a shrug and a small smirk, Chance admitted, "Zexion DID say he was going to somehow get back at me for those pranks back in the Organization…" Blushing slightly, he turned away, trying not to remember what happened between him, Roxas, Axel, and Zexion in the library that day…Especially Roxas.

"You really don't think he could've stolen it without the keys, do you?" Roxas probed.

"Well, he's good with technology, and if he teamed up with Larxene…" He shook his head. "She's still not too happy with Axel's prank, either…"

It took Roxas a few moments to piece together what Chance meant. "Oh…" Zexion and Larxene had never been the best of friends, but when it came to getting the rest of their companions back for prior pranks, it was agreed that the two were one of the most dangerous combinations.

"Well, it's not that far to Wendy's, and the mall with the roller blading arena's pretty close to that…" Looking up at the cool October sky, he added, "It's a nice day, dude…Let's just walk!" With that, he began to stride to the side-walk. Roxas gazed after him for a moment. He didn't get it. Chance seemed so fragile, to the point where everything and anything should bother him…But take away his car, and he won't even bat an eye. With a small smile, he thought to himself, _That's the real Chance…Easy-going, optimistic…_

Trotting over to Chance, he snatched his hand, smiling brightly. "Alright, let's go!" Chance gave a startled jump at this, eyes wide, even blushing a bit. Roxas inwardly sighed. Would Chance ever fully relax and get comfortable with the idea that he liked him?

_Maybe telling him now would make it easier for him to believe…or would it make him even more uncomfortable? _He was unable to reach a decision, seeing as three seconds later, Chance had distracted him with a conversation topic. He soon forgot about his prior ailments, too caught up in the joyful atmosphere between the two.

As they kept walking, however, he kept getting this feeling that there was something there…

"Chance?" He looked over to see Roxas peering over his shoulder, glancing around, almost in a nervous fashion. "Do you get the feeling that we're…Being watched?"

Chance looked around, confused. Other than the usual, curious glances, he didn't notice anything. "Roxas, we live in a pretty accepting place…But we're still also one of the only out gay couples around here…" he muttered, smirking sheepishly. "People are going to look…"

"No, not about that…" Roxas muttered.

Chance glanced around again, only to catch sight of himself in the reflection of the window. His black, strange-styled hair, the curious pattern on it, the weird tattoos…Letting out a chuckle, he turned back to Roxas, laughing, "I don't exactly fit in, dude…!"

"No, I mean…One person just…Just staring…Maybe even following us…" Roxas craned his neck around, starting to look really frightened by this unknown fear. Chance pulled Roxas a bit closer, in an attempt to comfort the boy.

"Roxas, there's no need to be scared…" he murmured soothingly. "No one's out there…"

Slowly, Roxas nodded, though as they continued their walk, Chance noticed he kept glancing around, just to be sure.

However, they arrived at the small fast-food restaurant without any mishaps, and, once inside surrounded by the smells of burgers and fries, Roxas seemed to forget about the odd sensation. They ordered two cheeseburgers, a medium fry, and a large soda, bringing them to a table when they were finished. They ate and chatted for a bit, not really in a hurry. It was a relaxing Sunday afternoon, and they had nowhere to really be.

They stood up and walked out, Chance still carrying their soda in his right hand. Roxas ended up dragging him to a small retail store, seeing a sweatshirt he liked. He ended up buying it, though he kept it in the bag; he didn't really want to stretch it out.

They kept walking down the street, down towards the Golden-Crystal Mall. However, as they kept going, Roxas still couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched again…

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"Guys, they're out on, what, their second or third date?" a brunette whined, sighing as he ran a hand through his mullet. "As funny as this would be, can't it wait? What if we blow something?"

The blonde at the computer rolled her shockingly aqua eyes, sending the boy a small glare. "Demyx, RELAX. One little prank won't ruin a relationship! Side, I still kinda resent that black-haired brat for dying my underwear pink…" The note of fondness in her voice was the only indication that she wasn't truly grudging against the popular boy.

"But, Chance is FINALLY acting comfortably around Roxas! What if we screw it up or something?"

The blonde shrugged. "Well, back to square one!" Rolling her eyes, she continued, "Dem, the entire relationship isn't teetering on the edge of one small little mishap!"

The gray-eyed teen next to her looked up at his brunette friend, and shrugged. "I already got back at Axel, so…" a slate-haired teen muttered, shrugging. "All that's left is to get the other devil…"

Larxene laughed. "That's what I like to hear, sport!"

"What about Roxas?" the brunette pressed. "He didn't do anything wrong…!"

Zexion shrugged. "I'm sure there's something he's done that needs payback…"

That warranted an eye roll from the teen and a laugh from the woman seated next to him. Pressing play, the blonde let the short teen watch the entire video. A few moments later, he smirked, leaning back.

"That is one of the stupidest yet most amusing things I've ever seen in my life…" He briefly looked over his shoulder, where their brunette friend was barely managing to get out, clutching his side as it split from his laughter. A moment later, he was gone, though his laughs could still be heard down the hallway.

"Well, the Easily Amused has been amused easily…" Larxene muttered. With a wicked glitter in her eye, she added slyly, "So, what do you think?"

Zexion pondered over this for a moment. Then, he smirked, muttering, "Think you can steal a car without the keys?"

"That's what I like to hear…"

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"Chance, I'm serious this time, something's following us, and it's REALLY giving me the creeps…" Roxas muttered, clinging to Chance's arm tightly. Chance himself was beginning to feel a small pit of fear in his stomach, though whether it was his own paranoia or the fright from Roxas that was getting to him, he didn't know.

"Alright, let's just get to the mall, dude…" he muttered, keeping them walking. Though it was a sunny day on a crowded street, they might as well have been walking through a dark, empty forest. He could almost see the mist wrapping around everything in sight, muffling everything. Was that a footstep? Did he just see a pair of eyes behind that biker?

"It's not much farther…" he added, striding forward. He tried to keep his wits; Roxas was already frightened enough. It wouldn't help if Chance got frightened too…

All of a sudden, a shadow moved in an alleyway. Roxas sucked in a breath, and shied behind Chance, peering out from behind him. Chance took a stance in front of Roxas, glaring at whatever was coming up from the…

"Zexion?" Chance asked, standing upright again as he recognized the person striding towards them. Sure enough, the slate-haired teen was striding towards them, apathetic as ever. Even with the slight breeze, he only wore a plain black t-shirt, plus deep navy pants that almost looked black. He wore deep brown loafers on his feet. The only odd things about him was the green baseball cap on his head, turned backwards and making his hair look a tad off. Stranger still were the strange smudges on his face…As he got closer, Chance realized that the shorter teen had drawn a mustache and a small beard on his face.

Roxas sighed in exasperation, glaring at Zexion. Obviously, he wasn't pleased that Zexion had been the one causing him panic up until now. He stood beside Chance, a bag in one hand, Chance's slightly more slender hand in his other.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he muttered, quite rudely. Chance opened his mouth to comment on how rude it was, but shut his moth, thinking better than to. After all, he wasn't exactly pleased to see the boy at the moment, either.

"Hey, you two. I learned some magic a little while ago. Special magic," Zexion replied, in a more monotonous voice than his usual was. Looking back over his shoulder, he asked apathetically, "Want to see it?" With a jolt, Chance realized there was some blonde with a mustache, wearing a beanie cap and baggy clothing, holding a TV camera over his shoulder. In reply to what Zexion had asked, he gave a thumb's up; his thumbs were rather thin to be a guy's fingers, but he wasn't all that keen on paying attention to that. He focused on Zexion. He looked over at Roxas, who rolled his eyes, shrugging.

"Um…Okay…" he muttered, keeping his wary eyes on Zexion.

"Good. So, I see you went to a store recently…" Zexion added, indicating the bag in Roxas's hand. "So, what did you buy there?"

"Um…I bought a green sweater I really liked…" Roxas muttered, eying Zexion with suspicion. This seemed oddly familiar.

"I see…Are you sure it wasn't a stuffed cat holding a hot dog?"

The couple looked at each other, eyes wide. Shifting through his bag, Roxas muttered, "I don't know what you'rOH MY GOD!" he shouted in mid-sentence, pulling a fake gray tabby holding a Frankfurt out of his shopping bag. Chance stared in shock for a moment, then started laughing, though whether it was at the cat, Roxas's outraged reaction, or the faces Zexion was making at the camera, he wasn't sure. Roxas swore several times, obviously still frustrated at Zexion, and this little trick wasn't making things any better.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" he snapped, glaring hotly at Chance. Chance tried to stop laughing, but with Roxas glaring at him, his face red, his hair tossed around, the tabby in his hands…He squinted his eyes shut, finally gaining control of his breathing. Roxas put the tabby and the bag in one hand, gripping onto Chance's hand to control his rage. Rolling his eyes, he shot an icicle glare towards Zexion. "Where the fuck is my sweater? That thing costs me half my paycheck!" he snapped.

Chance looked down at Roxas. Suddenly, he completely stopped laughing, eyes wide. "Roxas…Your sweatshirt!" he exclaimed, pointing down at Roxas's chest, distressed.

"Yeah, the bastard stole WHAT THE FUCK?" he snapped, glaring down at his chest. Without anyone noticing, the green sweatshirt had somehow gotten onto his body, despite the fact that it was neither a button up nor a zipper sweatshirt, his arms were through both sleeves, and he hadn't moved from his spot or let go of the things in his hands.

"Okay, that's a little too weird…" Chance muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. Glancing at Zexion, he realized that the slate-haired boy was once again making strange faces at the camera. Roxas tore his hand away and angrily shoved the sweatshirt off, cursing Zexion even further. He threw it back in the bag, along with the strange cat.

"How did you do that? How did you do that? Where were you touching me?" Roxas snapped.

"You didn't feel anything?" Chance asked, eye wide.

Whipping around, Roxas growled, "No, not a thing! And it's pissing me off!"

Leaning away, Chance muttered, "Really? Cause it's just freaking ME out…!"

"So, Chance…" Chance looked up to see that Zexion had stopped ogling the camera and had his unfeeling eyes turned onto him. How was ne not even cracking a smirk? "I heard you got your car stolen this morning…"

Both teens dropped their jaws, looking at each other. They hadn't even mentioned it to anyone they knew…! "How did you…?" Chance squeaked. Did Zexion know who did it…?

"Yeah, it got stolen…Did you take it?" Roxas accused, jabbing a finger in Zexion's direction. Chance turned at Roxas. "Roxas!" he exclaimed. Snapping at a friend was one thing. Accusing him out grand theft auto was another.

"Stolen, eh? Then why is it right over there?" Zexion asked, pointing over Chance's shoulder. The boy turned around. His eye widened further. Sure enough, sitting on the side of the road, was his Nissan, which certainly hadn't been there fifteen seconds ago. His eyes went wide again.

"What the…?" he shouted. "My car!" Elated, he leapt over, almost spilling his orange soda everywhere as he went over to his car. He ran into the window, a wide grin on his face. The grin faltered as he looked into the window, shock lighting up on his face. He opened the door, and stuck his head in. Suddenly, he shouted, "WHAT THE HELL, DUDE?" Angrily, he whipped his head around, shooting a glare at his gray-eyed friend. "Why did you burst ketchup all over my damn car?" He ducked his head out, groaning, "It's going to take a month to clean out…"

The cameraman was behind him now, shooting into the sticky remains of his car. Chance finally got a better look at him…

…Her?

"Larxene…?" he hissed. The blonde drew back and winked at Chance, flashing a quick smile before trotting back to Zexion. Chance blinked, then rubbed his eyes, and looked around his car again. He sighed, still a little ticked off. He normally didn't get angry…But he didn't like the smell of old ketchup. It made his stomach churn nervously. _It'll take a dozen air fresheners to block the smell…!_

He walked back to Zexion. He sent a glare to his friend. "Alright, you got my car covered in ketchup, now what?" he challenged. Zexion stared back at him with emotionless eyes.

"I think you're wrong."

"What?"

"I think you're cars so clean, soap and water's bursting from the seats…"

"What? What do you mean by THE FUCK?" Chance snapped, rushing back to his car. He had forgotten to close the door, and observed a waterfall of soap bars and water flowing out of his car, splashing across the pavement. He groaned further as he looked into the car. Great. Soap stains. The ketchup was gone, but now he had to deal with soap stains. _Okay, NOW I'm pissed…_

He stormed back to Zexion and growled, "Okay, you've had your fun, now leave my car alone…!" Even Roxas jumped at the harsh, acid-like tone in his voice. Yet Zexion's face didn't falter a bit.

"I see. Having car problems. I wonder…Can you even find your car?" Zexion challenged.

"What…? Of course I can find my car, it's right over…!" Chance started, indicating to where his car was with his hand. He glanced over and froze. His car was gone. The soap was gone, the remains of the washed-up ketchup was gone…Not a tire track or anything. "Oh, hell no…!" he groaned, leaning his head back. "Okay, you damn freak, where the hell did you park my car…?"

"You should know. You just took a photo by it five seconds ago…" Zexion muttered. Roxas and Chance looked at him, eyes squinting, arms flying up skeptically.

"Five seconds…? Moron, we've been here the whole goddamn time, thanks to you!" Roxas snarled. Chance didn't chide him this time for snapping at Zexion. From his stand-point, the slate-haired boy deserved to be ridiculed.

"Really. Well, the picture's right here, dated and all…" He handed them a picture, which the two both looked into. To their horror, as they looked at their watches, they realized it was taken several seconds ago. It was a legitimate photo, too. Chance and Roxas were smiling in front of the Nissan, which was dripping ketchup, soap, and water.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Roxas cried out, tugging at his hair. Chance dropped the photo and let it fall to the ground. Zexion made more apathetic, wide-eyed faces at the camera.

"Alright, one more trick—"

"NO! NO MORE TRICKS!" Roxas snapped, throwing his arms out. He picked up his bag and threw the stuffed cat out of it, letting it roll into the gutter. "I just wanna go rollerblading, and never speak to you again!" he continued, staring the side and tossing his arms around for emphasis.

"No, just one more. I swear, no more car tricks."

"Zexion, I REALLY think you should leave…" Chance muttered, trying to keep his anger controlled. Zexion stared at him, then locked eyes with the soda cup in Chance's hands.

"I see you bought some soda," Zexion commented.

"Yeah. I got it at Wendy's. WHILE ON MY DATE," Chance grumbled, smirking in a challenging manner as he took Roxas's free hand.

"And, if you wouldn't mind, we would like to CONTINUE our date without you, thank you very much!" Roxas added, smiling smugly as he proceeded to lead Chance away.

"What kinda soda was it?"

The two paused from their walk. Chance glared back at Zexion. "Um, it's orange soda…"

"I see. Do you know what else is orange?"

The couple looked at one another, eyes wide. Chance turned back to Zexion and shrugged, muttering, "Uh, I dunno, Cheezits?" He put his lips around the straw and tried to take another sip of his soda. But nothing came up. Confused, he looked at the contents of his beverage. Horrified, he let the small orange squares fall out of his cup and onto the pavement.

"CHEEZITS!" he cried out. Roxas watched in equal horror. Chance threw his cup to the ground, and stormed off, Roxas right beside him, even tossing the words, "SCREW YOU, GEEK!" over his shoulders as he kept pace with the taller boy. Once the two were out of sight, Larxene and Zexion gave each other a high-five.

"So, will his car be…?" Larxene inquired.

"Right where he left it. Not quite as it was before this morning…" Zexion muttered, before, one final time, making faces at the camera.

**(Author's Note: No, this scene was not my original idea. If you go onto YouTube and type in 'David Blaine Street Magic' and watch the second one, that's where the scenario came from. I just wrote off of that.)**

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The two came home around seven, walking through the sunset, padding down the streets just as the lights were coming on. They were laughing, staggering unsteadily from time to time, still not used to being on solid feet rather than a set of wheels.

"Despite our little run in…" Chance murmured, arm and arm with his date. "I had a good time today…!"

"Yeah…" Roxas breathed. Pressing his head against Chance, he joked, "I just wish I could stop seeing flashing lights already…!" Chance laughed at his statement. The giggled through the parking lot, heading home for the evening. Chance paused in front of a certain car, staring at the red-and-white surface. He groaned. Roxas looked over, confused.

"What's wrong, Chencha?" He traced Chance's defeated glare to the car. His eyes widened.

The light only helped bring out the small smudges of ketchup and soap all over its exterior. Through its tinted windows, you could just make out small maroon patches and bubbles dotting the interior. The air around it smelt of stale tomatoes and lavender.

"THAT'S FOR THE MAID'S OUTFIT!" They turned to see their slate-haired friend shouting after them from the door. It slammed behind him. Chance growled, releasing Roxas's arms and rushing for the door, a murderer's light in his eyes.

"YOU ARE GOING TO HELP ME CLEAN THAT OFF, OR SO HELP ME…!" he snarled. Roxas laughed, leaning over as he kept snickering. Chance rarely got angry, and when he was truly angry, he was truly angry. But with the crazy light in his eyes as he chases after a friend who had taken a prank too far…It was actually kind of amusing!

The next day, Zexion and Chance didn't show up at school. When Roxas got home, they were laughing and hosing each other, Chance's car sparkling clean, the scent of pine-scented air fresheners dominating the air. As he observed them toss a soapy sponge to each other, Roxas smiled. The two never quarreled long.

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Yeah.

That's pretty much it.

Best friend Zexion HURRAY!

AND KISSIE KISSIE COOKING NYA NYA NYA AWWWWWW :D  
>Evil Larxene and video references, and references to the last fanfiction, and CHEEZITS, and...Okay I'm done now. XP<p>

...Dang, this is dated.

~Cat's Eye


	6. A Carnival In Underland

Part of the plot probably would just be better if I just kept it in my head. Because this all sounded so good in my head, but then…!

Oh don't mind me, I'm writer-angsting, it's a side effect of being a novelist.

WHO GETS THE UNDERLAND REFERENCE WITHOUT READING THE DISCLAIMERS LULZ?

AND I'M ON TIME THIS WEEK be proud of me.

Any-who, let's see what antics Chance and Roxas get in this time! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

I also don't own The Nightmare Before Christmas. The owner owns that, though I wouldn't know off the top of my head who it was... It's not Disney, too, is it? OhmygodIfeelsoblonde...

Underland, I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, is from the Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. If it ends up being from one of the stories, or somewhere else, please correct me.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

And the designs for the Halloween Town forms were a combination of images that came up on various sites online, so only Chance's is purely mine. The rest are based off of other things.

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**Chapter 6: A Carnival In Underland**

"Chance…" he whispered, face right next to his boyfriend's ear. The teen took no note of the golden-blonde; still head banging, mouthing out, "_We are the ones you should be fearing…_!"

"Cha-ance…!" he murmured, a little louder. The teen kept head banging, the smile stretched across his face. He tapped on Chance's headphone.

"CHANCE," he proclaimed. Still, the boy took no notice of you. Roxas smirked, deciding to have a little fun. Gently lifting Chance's headphone, he whispered in his best Zexion impression, "Roxas is naked in the shower…!"

Chance jumped up, face bright red. "WHAT?" He looked left and right for the slate-haired boy, only to find Roxas peering over his shoulder. His face flushed. "R-Roxas, I-I thought you were in the shower…I MEAN!" he added, waving his arms frantically in front of him. "N-Not like I care…!" he exclaimed. Roxas giggled down at him. Chance stared at him for a few moments later, then sighed, exasperated.

"Ignore that, check out what I got!" With this exclamation, Roxas sprang over the couch and landed next to Chance, pamphlet in hand. Bubbling over with excitement, he practically shoved the page into Chance's nose, watching the boy let out muffled groans as he was smothered by laminated paper. He pulled the paper back to actually take a look at it.

"A carnival?" Chance asked, looking down at Roxas. Roxas nodded, his eyes bright.

"It's in Wonderland!" he jabbered. "There'll be food, games, events, and it's Halloween-themed! Jack's gonna be there, Sora's gonna be there later, we can wear our Halloween Town gear…" Looking up into Chance's eyes, he asked in his best pleading voice, "Can we go, can we go, can we go?"

Chance looked down at Roxas, a thoughtful look on his face. Looking back at the pamphlet, he read it over. '_October 31__st__, Hosted by the Red Queen…_' Looking back at Roxas, he murmured, "Didn't they banish her?"

"Hmm? Who?" After looking at to the section Chance indicated to, Roxas let out an 'Ooo' of understanding. "No, that was the Tim Burton movie. Sides, she's only going to be at the events that interest her, and it's the annual 'Keep Your Heads On' carnival!" His eyes sparkled. "It looks like fun!"

Despite the boy's optimism, Chance couldn't bring himself to be as motivated to go. "I dunno…Last time I went to Wonderland…"

_"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"_

_ "But, dude, you won't even use this!"_

_ "IT WAS IN MY KINGDOM, IT IS THEREFORE MINE, YOUR HEAD SHALL ROLL!"_

_ "You can't just decapitate—!"_

_ "WHY IS HIS HEAD STILL ON HIS SHOULDERS, GET IT OFF THIS INSTANT!"_

Leaning away from the bubbly teen, he let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I don't think she'll welcome me with open arms…"

Rolling his eyes, Roxas muttered, "Come on, she can barely keep her attention span on one person's execution for the same amount of time it takes to blink!" Chance still looked over the pamphlet, still unsure. Roxas snorted, getting frustrated.

"IT'S A DATE…" Roxas proclaimed, exasperated. Chance looked down at him.

"Uh, yeah, Roxas, I figured…" Putting his chin in his hands, he muttered, "I'm just not sure I wanna go, dude…"

Roxas leaned back, surprised. Could he finally just suggest that they go on dates without making it painfully obvious? That was certainly new…Chance was still blushing whenever he was around him, but he seemed to be setting down…He snorted again, dismissing his thoughts. _The more time we spend here, the less time we spend out together! _Smirking slyly, he leaned over, placing his arms on the couch behind Chance, so his body wrapped around him. Chance whipped his head around. He jumped, falling to his side, then rolling over to find Roxas just a few centimeters away from his face, his knees around his hips. The same, almost seductive smirk was on the boy's face. The black-haired teen's face flushed, eyes wide.

"Can we go?" Roxas asked, in a tone that matched his facial expression. He sat up a second later, on his heels. Chance propped himself up with his elbows to find the boy pushing his lower lip out, his eyes huge, his face pouting. "Please…?" he asked in a small, innocent voice.

Chance sighed. The double hitter. That was an automatic defeat. "I-I guess…" he murmured, still shaken. Roxas jumped up, causing Chance to wince as he was crushed by Roxas. A second later, Roxas had pressed him back on the couch, shoving his lips into Chance's in gratitude. Pulling away, Roxas stared down at Chance, just as thrilled as before.

"Well, come on, we gotta get going!" He jumped off Chance and bolted down the hallway. "Meet me out front in ten minutes!"

Chance sat up on the couch, face still cooling, hair tussled up more than usual, and a stricken, adoring look on his face. Zexion walked in, books in arms. He did a double take as he looked down at Chance. Eyes wide with surprise, he murmured, "Chance?"

Sighing, the mocha-eyed teen lay back down, staring at the ceiling. "I'm going back to Wonderland, mother dear…" He sighed. He closed his eyes. "Wake me when it's darker, mother dear…"

Zexion snorted. Only he would be able to tell what Chance's strange references to his 'mother' were from. Chance twitched slightly, whimpering as he closed his eyes. Before Zexion could jump down to comfort him, he was up and off the couch.

"Well, better get ready for the date…!" He began to walk out, but before he did, he took a step back, catching Zexion's eye. "Saturday morning, coffee, Pandora's Box, alright, dude?" With a smile and a wave, he was gone. Zexion smiled and was about to let out a small call to agree with Chance when he froze. The slate-haired boy stared after Chance in amazement.

Two months ago, Chance wouldn't have been able to even mention family without curling up into a ball sobbing.

And he just completely shrugged his mother off.

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Roxas opened the door to the Gummi Ship, gesturing for Chance to go ahead. It was a slightly larger model than the standard, able to carry a dozen or so people, and with a built-in auto-pilot. Before Chance could step into the ship, Roxas jumped forward, exclaiming, "Wait…!" Pausing, Chance looked over at Roxas, a befuddled expression on his face. Scuffing his feet on the ground, Roxas muttered, "I forgot to mention…We're kinda on…A double date…"

Chance blinked. "Really? Who else?"

"Riku and Kairi…" Roxas put his hands together and shook them up and down, begging, "Please don't be mad…!"

Chance smiled at Roxas, walking over to ruffle the boy's hair. "Why would I be mad? The more the merrier!" Roxas looked up at him, one eye closed, his mouth open in a small, 'O' shape. Then, he smiled, and the two walked onto the Gummi Ship.

"Hey, Riks!" Chance called out, lifting a hand in greeting. Surprisingly enough, Riku and Kairi sat in two different seats, despite the fact that the seats they were in were large enough to fit two. The silver-haired teen raised his head and smiled nervously, returning Chance's wave.

"Hey, Chance…" he muttered in a small voice, unusual for Riku's confident stature. Kairi said nothing, just sitting stiffly, face pink. Chance looked over at Roxas. The blonde sighed.

"Can you set us on a course to Wonderland without blowing the ship up?" Roxas joked, nodding over to Riku. Chance gave the blonde a small push in the arm, laughing slightly. With that, the two turned away, Chance heading to the control panel, Roxas to Riku. The fair-haired boy sat next to the aqua-eyed teen.

"Kairi looks a little lonely over there, don't you think?" Roxas hinted, gesturing over to the red-head with his cranium. Riku jumped, snapping out of his thoughts. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he leaned back down, staring at his shoes.

"I guess she is…" he muttered. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Look, someone's gotta do SOMETHING, and Kairi doesn't strike me as the type to jump forward!" Roxas murmured. "You two have been dating for, what, a MONTH now?" Giving Riku a small, playful shove, he muttered, "What's keeping you back?"

Riku narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "Nothing! I just…I just don't want to rush things!"

Roxas snorted. "Sides, why does it always have to be the guy that moves?" Riku continued. "I mean, you and Chance have been going out for a while, and you're usually the one calling the shots…"

Roxas glared down at Riku. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Riku leaned back, smirking at Roxas. "Oh, come on, you know as well as I do what I'm talking about!"

Turning a little pink in anger, Roxas snapped, "What are you talking about? I'm manly!" Looking over to Chance, he shouted out, "Aren't I, Chance?"

"Whatever suites you, hun…" Chance called back, too distracted typing in the co-ordinates for the CAD system to pay attention to what Roxas was shouting about. Roxas sighed.

"Girls tend to have their guys back them up…!" Riku teased. Roxas sent a cold glare in the boy's direction.

"Geeze, only trying to help…" Roxas muttered darkly. He stood up, only to find Chance walking towards him. Hesitant at first, but bolder as he went along, he wrapped his arms around Roxas, cuddling up to him.

"What was that all about?" he asked, looking back at Riku. Roxas snorted.

"He's being a stubborn ass…" The blonde looked over at Kairi. She sighed, gazing over at Riku longingly. An idea sprung into his head. Looking back at Chance, he hissed, "Hey, do you think you could…" The rest he whispered into Chance's ear, cupping his hand to keep the sound from reaching Riku. Chance snickered slightly, and nodded.

"Dunno if it'll help, but it sounds amusing…Only because you asked, just this once!" He released Roxas, who, in an over-the-top nonchalant way, strode to the back of the ship, seating himself in the perfect place to watch his little show. Chance walked over behind Kairi, as though to join his boyfriend in the back. But, before she even knew what he was doing, he suddenly leaned over the chair and gripped her underneath the legs and her torso, lifting her out of the chair. She let out a small bout of laughter.

"CHANCE! What are you doing?" she squeaked. He replied only with a smirk, striding across the small ship over to Riku, who was staring at Chance with uncertain eyes. Kairi glanced down to find Riku below her. Her laughter faded, her smile turning into a small frown. Chance gently dropped her onto the couch, half on top of Riku. The two ended up face to face, embarrassment written in their heated cheeks.

"Opps. The girl moved," Chance muttered as he was told to do. He then walked back to Roxas, who was trying to hold back his laughter.

"Meeeeeean…" Chance murmured. Roxas looked at Chance, slightly offended. Gesturing back to the two, he exclaimed, "Hey, come on, they needed it!"

Chance sighed, and leaned back. Kairi and Riku were sitting next to each other now…But they still hardly looked at one another. Looks like they were still on Square one.

"So, who watched the Lakers last night?" he asked, hoping a conversation would lighten the mood. Riku immediately turned around, eyes bright, as though everything that had happened in the last five minutes hadn't happened.

"Don't even remind me!" he exclaimed. Kairi looked up at him, confused.

"What happened last night?" she asked. Roxas gaped at her in shock.

"Just about the coolest basket shot ever in the history of the Lakers!" he exclaimed. Kairi's eyes widened.

"Really?" she exclaimed. Riku looked down at her, smiling.

"You see, they were all the way on the other side of the court…!"

Chance smirked, leaning back as the two conversed more, no longer jumping whenever they touched, and finally making eye contact again. He could've sworn Kairi had wrapped her fingers around Riku's hand, but he couldn't be certain. Occasionally, the two couples would invade each other's conversations, but for the most part, they just conversed with one another.

Halfway to their destination, Roxas looked over, only have his eyes augment at the sight of Riku telling Kairi a joke, his blue-eyed date giggling. Their hands were definitely holding each other now. He looked over at Chance in awe.

"You are the master matchmaker, I swear…" he muttered. Chance smirked, leaning back in embarrassment.

"You just need to break the ice…" he explained.

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Twenty minutes later, they were in the world. Riku and Kairi left the ship first, sure to wear their charms to get their town costumes. As they walked out, a bright light surrounded each of them, and their outfits changed. Kairi's pink, zippered-up dress was switched with a purple witch's costume, with black accents, and matching hat and boots. White and black stockings sat on her legs, her hat casting an ominous shadow over her face. Her skin was slightly green, her teeth were sharpened to points, and she had a small mole under her eye, though it looked more adorable than frightening. Her hair darkened as well, giving her an over-all sinister look. Riku was changed to a werewolf, dark silver fur covering his large paws, the whites of his eyes changed to dull yellow, his vest turning black and his pants turning into brown caprices. He looked relatively harmless, but when he drew back his lips, his long fangs usually sent shudders down people's spines.

Roxas stepped out of the ship, a small flash signifying his costume transformation. Like Sora, he wore an over-jacket, a long-sleeved shirt, and a set of wings on his back. However, his sleeves were white, and his gloves black, and his jacket had the Nobody symbol on it, a set of black wings behind it. His half-jacket had checkered accents, and his wings were white, unlike Sora's black pair. His undershirt was black, and he wore dark maroon pants, going all the way down to his white shoes. His hair was darkened, and over his right eye was a small rounded bat mask, its right eye swirled while its left eye glowing red. He looked down at himself, sighing. Apparently, the changed he made to the costume still weren't working.

"I still feel like it's not good enough…" he muttered, flashing his vampire fangs at Chance. He looked back up at Chance; the darkness around his eyes brightened his eyes to make them glow in an alluring form. Chance smirked, feeling his heart skip a little.

"You look pretty good to me…" Chance walked out of the ship, closing his eyes as the light engulfed him. He found that he no longer had to move his legs to move; he merely leaned slightly in the direction he wanted to go, and he drifted in that direction. His own Halloween form he had only seen a few times; his eyes had turned to pupils, his nose broken off, and his skin pale. A pale sheet clung to him, his hands sticking out as mere bones. His figure apparently looked rather emaciated, and the cloak trailed to nothingness. A faint gray glow emitted from him, green vapors occasionally drifting down from whatever was below him. No one had bothered to look under the cloak. He knew it ended in a short, wispy tail, but no one else had to know that.

He drifted over to Roxas, offering a bleached hand, which Roxas gladly grasped onto. "So, where shall we go first?"

Roxas looked over to Riku and Kairi. A smirk lit up his face. Chance frowned. "I don't like that look…!"

"Think Kairi would jump into Riku's arms if we went into the Haunted House?" he murmured. Chance rolled his pupil.

"Haven't we…no, YOU meddled enough, dude?" Chance sighed. "I thought you were supposed to be the quiet one…"

"I am! I'm not saying ANYTING to them!" Roxas replied innocently, batting his eye at Chance. Unable to deny Roxas's request (especially with his already-lovely, accented eye) he drifted over to Riku.

"Hey, dude, Roxas and I wanna check out the Haunted House. Interested?" he asked. A wolfish smile and sparkling eyes were his reply.

"I don't see why not!" he exclaimed, his canine teeth flashing in the dark light around them. Looking over at Kairi, he asked, "What do you say?"

"Sure!" Kairi exclaimed, looking joyful enough. Chance snorted; he could tell Kairi was more scared than she'd admit about the house. Still, wanting to see how horrifying it was himself, he didn't comment; Kairi had Riku, and that was going to have to do.

As they walked through Wonderland, they got the chance to admire the modifications. It looked as though someone had taken Halloween Town and Wonderland and mashed them together. All the plants were dead or dying, cracking and creaking eerily in the wind. The sky was dark, the booths were strange, and everyone was either a Halloween Town native or wearing an extremely believable costume. The cool October breeze rushed passed them, merely ruffling their clothes. He was sure there was a musky smell in the air, of old bones and murky swamps, but having no nose, he couldn't tell.

They approached the tall gray building, gazing at the purple roof and black shutters. Kairi winced several times as screams of the victims inside sliced through the air. She seemed to almost be tripping over Riku, walking so close to the boy.

They walked through the doors and into the house. After getting a short and rather weak history (it was rather scary, but Chance wasn't easily startled) they continued through the house, getting a few weak jump scares, and having a chainsaw-wielding clown following them around for a while. Chance let out a breath. He had expected more…

They turned the corner only to find the lights dimming. The hallway had patches of light and darkness. They had barely taken two steps when they were assaulted by zombies, who disappeared and reappeared into the light. Kairi's shrieks pierced the air, Roxas's cries rang in Chance's ear, and Riku's yells of protest sounded nearby. Even Chance himself was letting out small yips of terror, until the event was over. The four were breathing hard, Kairi practically wrapped around Riku, Roxas huddling in Chance's cloak.

The rest of the tour varied, though nothing was ever as weak as the start. But, from the experts of Halloween Town, what more did you expect? They all left the building with their hair on edge, Kairi lying in Riku's arms, burying her face into his fur.

"That was quite possibly the scariest thing I have ever seen in my life…" she whispered, close to tears.

"I am never going back there ever…" Roxas muttered, clinging onto Chance's cloak. The ghost boy smirked. An idea crossed his mind; he could turn himself intangible at will. To further freak Roxas out, he could let him fall on his face…

Immediately when he thought of that, he shook his head, and pulled Roxas closer, looping his arm around the boy. _That's way too mean…_This was the boy he was in love with. What kind of significant other does something awful like that to their other?

The two couples ended up not staying together for long; Riku and Kairi wanted to just sit down and chat for a while, drinking a few fountain drinks to calm their nerves, while Chance thought it would be best to walk the scare off. Besides, he wanted to keep exploring.

They ended up snagging some green-and-purple cotton candy, munching on it as they walked. As he leaned down to take a bite, his face pressing close to Roxas's, he briefly remembered his days in the Organization. He had always been so tense around Roxas. Not that he still wasn't completely calm. He was sure that Roxas cared about him one way or another, but he still wasn't sure that Roxas cared for him the way Chance did. Until he knew that, he could never truly relax.

But the tension was less, at the very least. He couldn't have even imagined being able to walk up and wrap his arms around the blonde before just because he wanted to before. The idea was still sinking in, but it was there, for him to enjoy.

Could he be a replacement for…?

"Hey, Chance, check it out!" He was taken out of his thoughts, spared from finishing the sentence and further pondering the topic. He looked over to find Roxas pointing at a 'Test Your Strength' machine, which was currently ringing with the number seventy-nine. The man running it was none other than Jack Skellington himself, currently handing a small mask to the young man who had gotten the seventy-nine.

"Come on, Chance, I bet you could get a hundred!" Roxas exclaimed, taking him by the arm and dragging him over. "Hey, Jack!" he called out.

"Roxas, I'm not sure—"

"Well, hello, if it isn't two of my favorite spooks?" Jack called out. He gave a high five to Roxas. "How's your brother doing?"

"He's trick-or-treating tonight! He should be coming later!"

"Attire?" Being the King of Halloween, he always took interest to see what costumes his friends came up with each year. Even this year, he was wearing a different suit, a dark blue suit, covered in spots of black, making him appear to be half dissolving into the air around him.

"He's a dead body. He's having Axel and Demyx drag him around in a red wagon!" Roxas laughed. Jack threw back his skull and laughed heartily.

"Ah, you tell him to get a picture and visit me with it!" he called out.

"Roxas, I dunno, I don't think I could…!" Chance muttered. He looked up at the bell, which seemed to be a hundred feet in the air. He couldn't hit it with just an iron ball and a hammer, especially as a ghost…!

"Ah, Chance, how are you on this despicable evening?" Jack called out. Smiling and reaching out a skeletal hand to shake Jack's own bones.

"We were just passing by, so…" Chance tried pleasantly, trying to inch away. Unfortunately, Roxas tugged him back.

"Oh, come on, Chance, you're one of the strongest people I know! You lifted up Kairi earlier without even breaking a sweat! You can ring that little bell!" he exclaimed in admiration. Chance rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I see, a shy one, eh?" Jack asked, one eye half-closing, his hand going under his chin as he inspected Chance. "Tell you what, one round on the house, courtesy of the King of Halloween himself!" he exclaimed, bowing down. Chance's eye widened.

"But—!"

"C'mon, Chance, it'll be fun!" Roxas exclaimed. "I know you can do it!" Leaning in so his lips almost touched Chance's ear, he whispered, "Would you please win me something nice…?"

Turning a slight pink, Chance stared up at the bell. Roxas really believed he could hit the ball up that high? The height didn't seem too great now…

Turning to Jack, he held out a hand, saying, "Let's blow that bell off!"

Jack smiled brightly at him. "That's what I like to hear!" Handing him the mallet, Chance beckoned for Roxas to step back. He swung it three or so times, getting used to the feeling of bones around the mallet rather than flesh, muscle, blood, and THEN bones. He was surprised he still had a good grip on it. He walked up to the plate, and gazed down at the small bronze panel. He took a deep breath, and swung with half his might. The silver ball flew up, and almost seemed to go to the top, but stopped when it was two or so feet away, the number eighty-six showing up on the meter. Chance sighed, confidence melting.

"Chance, that was INCREDIBLE!" He turned to find, oddly enough, Alice gawking at him. Her hair was frizzled up, her dress torn, and parts of her flesh seemed to be rotting, though it was clear it was only make-up, as nothing fell off or moved. "Most people take two tried to get it that high!"

"Come on, Chance, give it another whirl!" Jack challenged. He held up two more bony fingers. "You got two more tries!" Roxas nodded at him, eyes wide.

"I know you can do it!"

Chance took another breath in, aware of the three sets of eyes encouraging him. He brought the mallet down, pushing it down harder than last time.

The ball went up higher than before, but the bell still didn't ring. A ninety-eight rang up on the meter. He grit his teeth. _So close…_

"Come on, Chance, one more whirl!" Jack encourage. Alice nodded eagerly to him to push him along. Roxas strode over to him and gave him a small peck on the check. Eye half closed when he pulled away, he murmured, "We all believe in you…" He stepped back, the same encouragement in his eye as everyone else. Chance lifted his hand and traced it across his pale cheek, feeling his heart twitch.

He looked back at the machine in front of him, sizing him up. He grit his teeth, brought the hammer over his head, and slammed it down on the bronze plate with all his might.

The ball flew up and struck the bell squarely, causing it to let out a piercing scream as it rang. Fireworks and misty ghosts blew out of the bell, drifting into the air. Cheers erupted around him, from people who had no idea what was going on, but were equally excited. Roxas bolted over and wrapped his arms around Chance, bouncing up and down.

"YOU DID IT! I KNEW YOU COULD!" he exclaimed. Alice clapped her hands, laughing. Jack disappeared and came back with a large plush; it was a dark purple cat, hair ruffled, its eyes huge, pupils narrow slits. A huge smile stretched across its face. Yet, despite its creepy features, it was strangely cute. The Pumpkin King handed it to Chance, who took it in exchange for the mallet. He turned to Roxas and handed it to him.

"This nice enough?" he asked, in an amused tone. Roxas smiled, taking the cat into his arms. He leaned forwards, slightly, Chance mirroring his movement. The two kissed each other. Roxas pulled away, smiling at Chance adoringly.

"It's perfect…!" he squeaked. Turning to Jack, Chance called, "Hey, thanks, dude!"

Jack saluted Chance, already handing the mallet to another kid, no older than twelve. "Consider it a little 'Thank You' for the help around the workshop!"

Chance smiled, and taking Roxas's hand, they were off again, to parade around.

"I have the best and strongest boyfriend ever…!" Roxas bragged, pressing his head against Chance's shoulder. Chance shrugged him off, abashed.

"Cut it out, dude!" he laughed sheepishly. "Anyone can hit that! Marluxia, Lexaeus, Saix…!"

"Oh, have a little confidence!" Roxas exclaimed, ruffling Chance's hair. "You're strong, that's a compliment!"

Chance rubbed the back of his neck, closing his eye, still embarrassed. "Still…!" Roxas snorted but said nothing more on the subject. "How's about we get something to eat? It's almost…" Looking around, he spotted a clock and evaluated the time. "Six-thirty?"

"Alright!"

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They returned home later that evening, amusing themselves with the view of Kairi sleeping on Riku's shoulders. If it weren't for the fact that Kairi was a light sleeper, Roxas might've taken a taunting picture, ready to jeer at Riku about it. But, tuckered out himself, he contented himself with smirking at Riku every time they made eye-contact, and resting, using his new cat—he decided to call it Sniffles—as a pillow, since Chance was constantly up to make sure the autopilot wasn't spiraling out of control.

At ten o'clock, the two gave each other one last kiss goodnight.

"See you tomorrow, Roxas…" Chance murmured, pressing his forehead on Roxas's.

"See you, Chance…" Roxas breathed. He hesitated before pulling away, opening his eye. Seeing Chance standing there, head pressed against his own, eye closed peacefully…His heart was racing, causing his digression between what was logical and what was risky to blur. The words escaped.

"I love you…" he murmured, so low, he could barely hear them. Eyes widening, he pulled away, gasping. Chance opened his eye, confused.

"Hmm? What?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. Roxas felt his face heat up. He pulled away, heart stopping. Chance hadn't heard…

"N-Nothing…I'm tired, goodnight…!" Roxas stuttered, turning around and rushing to his room. He slammed the door behind him, bolting to his bed and flinging himself across it, holding Sniffles close, breathing hard, but not because he had just bolted.

_I…I almost told him…! _He didn't know why he was so afraid of this, but it terrified him. The prospect of the words getting out before he was prepared…He grit his teeth. He almost felt like crying. Why couldn't he just say it? He meant it with all his heart; he knew that Chance cared about him the same way…What was holding him back?

"I'm scared…" he opened his eyes, forcing himself to relax. He still wasn't sure whether his love to Chance would help or not. Chance was still tense around him. If the mocha-eyed boy were a bit more relaxed, maybe Roxas could, but…He was too afraid of losing Chance. And what of Treep? He could still see it in Chance's eyes; Chance wouldn't deliberately look at Treep, but whenever he glanced at him, the care he felt for Treep—more than Roxas had seen in Chance's eye when he looked at him—still lit up in his eyes. Wouldn't more love complicate the matters further?

_I'm not ready…_He wasn't ready to lose Chance. Right now, if they broke up, he was sure his world would shatter. Not only would his heart be broken, but he'd know he failed Chance. Chance would go back to the way he would before. The former suicidal would cut. He would write in his journal. He'd make attempts at his life…Roxas was sure he could move on if it were any other person. He knew that he had all his friends—especially Axel, Zexion, Xion, and Namine. He had friends to support them, he had—as much as he didn't like to think about it—a back-up girlfriend, who he still cared about.

But, not only did he love Chance too much to let him go. He loved Chance too much to let him change back. Admitting his love right now just seemed like an accident waiting to happen.

He managed to calm himself enough to stand, putting Sniffles on his bed as he stood to get his pajamas on, and brush his teeth.

Several minutes later, he crawled into bed, exhausted. He curled up on his side, thinking of the light in Chance's eye.

_I have tell him…If it came out this time, it'll come out again…_Pulling the covers closer, he vowed, _If nothing else, next year, before January ends, my resolution will be to tell him. I swear on anything and everything that, if this lasts that long, and I haven't told him already, I'll tell him then…_

With that thought in his mind, he drifted to sleep.

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Song referenced is 'The Ones' by Aesthetic Perfection. I love them. I'd put a heart beside this text of Fanfiction would allow that.

The reference Chance is making in the beginning was kind of just a plot idea I had for 'I'll Never Be Enough' I didn't use; apparently, Chance went to Wonderland one day and upset the Queen, so she's been obsessed with getting his head ever since…

And, like I said, the double-date idea was better in my head.

…Meh, it's not so bad.

ANYWAYS, hey look, my rambles are back! Miss them? So, I've always wanted a fanfiction in Halloween Town to show off Chance's ghost form. There's some significance in it, I think, but for the life of me, it's too early to remember it, the coffee hasn't kicked in, and for the life of me, I wouldn't tell you guys anyways.

ANDSORA'S IDEAIS TOTALLY MYIDEA FOR HALLOWEEN! :D

And Roxas's hesitation can be scolded and justified, I suppose. WE all know what Chance needs, but Roxas isn't the fourth wall, so he doesn't know what to do.

Still, could the reference to his mother possibly mean that Chance is going to get better…? Could this last until January? Will Roxas ever say it?

:D I KNOW ha.

~Cat's Eye


	7. Accidents Tend To Happen

Hey guys.

It's me.

Cat's Eye, aka, Rose, aka, Sherlock.

…WITH A NEW CHAPTER~ :D

True to my word, someone asked for me to finish! So, I'm finishing!

Just a note: Anything after this (isthisaspoilerIsee?) is…nowhere even close to being finished. I haven't written a fanfiction in ages. I'm trying to re-find my muse, but don't expect anything until…well, a while.

Plus, I'm so busy, and have hardly touched Fanfiction in months. X_X

BUT.  
>I'm here now with a new chapter!<p>

And I'm REALLY glad it's this one, this is one of my favorites.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 7: Accidents Tend To Happen**

Chance, of course, as everyone around him knows, is just a magnet for danger of all sorts. At least a quarter of his near-death experiences had been just a slip up, or an accident, putting a hand where a knife was without knowing, standing too close to this or that, getting caught up in some machine…It was a strange and unfortunately proclivity, but it was just in his nature.

Still, they had been lucky for some time.

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"But why are people so afraid cats?" the blonde asked, using his arms for emphasis. Chance smirked at him, shifting his hoodie.

"I told you, it's because black cats are unlucky! Also, they're associated with evil, they're made into demons…Heck, have you ever seen a tiger attack, dude?" Chance tried to explain.

"Well, same goes for dogs, but people aren't as afraid of dogs as they are of cats!" Roxas complained.

"Yes, they are. In fact, people are probably more afraid of dogs!"

"No, on an Internet poll, it said that people are more afraid of cats!" Roxas exclaimed defiantly. Chance let out a laugh.

"Since when do you believe the Internet, dude?" Chance asked. Roxas protruded his lower lip, pouting slightly.

"All I'm saying is that it doesn't seem to make sense to be afraid of cats!" Roxas finished.

"Alright, alright, it's weird, I get it!" Chance snickered.

It was slowly getting darker outside, though the lamp light was enough to see clearly, except down the alleyways extending between the buildings. Dinner had been nice, but homework was going to be difficult to focus on. Roxas sighed as he ruefully thought of his Latin assignment.

"I don't wanna…!" he whined to himself, shoulders slumping.

"Don't wanna…?" Chance inquired.

"Don't wanna do Latin! It sucks!" Roxas continued his voice pitching. He leaned into Chance, slumping down further. Chance let out another laugh.

"Dude, your choice to take that language! If you had stuck with Spanish or French I could help you!" Chance exclaimed.

"Well, if you're supposed to be able to speak, like, fifty languages, why not Latin?"

"It's a dead language, dude! I don't wanna learn a language hardly anyone other than smart people use!" Chance exclaimed. "Sides, you only have this year then next year!"

Roxas sighed. "I guess…"

Chance saw that they were getting close to the building. All of a sudden, an idea struck him. He stopped, tugging on Roxas's arm, indicating the blonde should pause as well. He faced the bright blue eyes, which were lined with confusion.

"Hey, Demyx told me about a short-cut to get home!" Eyes lighting up, Chance challenged, "How's about you take the normal route, and I take the one Dem told me about? It'll be a race!"

Roxas smiled, eyes wide. "Fine! If I win, you…you have to do my History homework!"

"And if I win, you have to…" Roxas would be no help on homework. Pondering for a second, Chance shrugged and muttered, "Give me a foot massage!" Though he was half-joking, a massage would be nice. Especially on his sore feet.

Roxas frowned, blushing slightly. "A…A foot massage?" he asked hesitantly. Chance cocked his head to the side, confused.

"Something wrong?"

Roxas shook his head, the blush disappearing. "N-No…" _I just can't afford to lose…! _His eyes brightened again, and he asked, "On three?"

Chance lined up. "One…" he started.

"Two…" Roxas muttered.

"THREE!" they exclaimed at the same time. They both bolted down, though a block into the run, Chance ducked down an alleyway, dodging around the dumpster and bounding over the trashcans. _Took the hard route…But I'm faster! _He pushed himself further, already anticipating the foot massage. _My feet have felt so worn lately. A massage will do them—_

He was cut off as he rounded the corner.

He let out a gag of pain.

Just around the corner, a giant shard of broken window glass lay across a trashcan, placed by some careless man or woman. It struck him on the stomach, to the left. He stood there, feeling unbearable pain coming to him. He had once had a tolerance for such pain. However, now it tore through him. He looked down, eyes locking, not on the glass, but on what the glass was doing to him. Glass shards were breaking into the wound, and blood was soaking his sweatshirt. It was quite a horrifying sight.

Still gagging, he managed to find the strength to lift his hand and struggle to get the glass out of his wounds. With a mixture of pulling his stomach away and pushing the glass out, he managed to get it out. He panted heavily, coughing. Blood dotted the ground, flowing from his lip. Black dots began to swirl his vision.

Still, the teen stood for a few moments more, keeping his arm on the brick wall to support himself. He gripped the wound with his other hand. Gasping and gagging, he felt himself slouch down slowly.

He turned himself again and slammed his back against the wall, wincing, but needing the support. He slumped down, still keeping pressure on the wound. The blood was dripping all over his side, the agony making him light-headed. _Stay…awake…Stay…awake…_His eyelid was drooping.

_You…promised…Roxas…_He pushed his eye open. He tried to call out, but every shout, cry, or scream he tried to make resulted in a coughing fit, gagging on more blood.

_I can't…I can't…die…yet…I never…died…_The black dots were still swirling.

_Help me…_He closed his eye for a second, praying for a few seconds for an angel to save him. He couldn't leave Roxas. Even if this wasn't real, he had promised…he had promised…

He then opened his eye, forcing himself to somehow keep himself awake, and to keep himself alive.

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_Yes! No history homework!_ Roxas let out a small yip of triumph as he landed on the front steps, no sign of Chance. He checked the door. Still locked. That meant no one was home. Doing a victory dance, he laughed in merriment, and sighed in relief. _No foot massage!_

He then sat himself on the stairs, twitching with joy. All that was left was to wait for Chance from his so-called 'short cut'.

A minute passed.

Two minutes passed. Roxas frowned, checking his watch. It must've been a horrible short cut.

Three minutes passed.

Four.

Five.

After six minutes, Roxas began to worry. Even if the short-cut had been that bad, Chance would've turned back by now, taking the original route home, knowing that Roxas would've been there already. He stood up. Was something wrong…? For some reason, an odd sense of dread gripped his stomach. He trotted back, picking his cell-phone out of his pocket as he trotted. Soon, he was sprinting, dialing the number quickly, and then shoving it to his ear.

"Hello?" the brunette's voice asked.

"Demyx? I need you to tell me the short cut to get back to the building…"

"Oh, that! Yeah, I won a race the other day against Xigbar when—!"

"Yeah, fantastic, where do I go?"

"Down the alley at Quarter Avenue and Ellington Street!"

Roxas ducked down the alleyway. The sense of dread increased with every step he took. "Okay, then what?"

"Left, then right, then there'll be a red dumpster you have to climb over to get over a fence…" Roxas bolted quickly, following Demyx's instructions.

"Then take a large turn around the alley to your left, that's where they keep broken things!"

Roxas nodded, as though Demyx could see him. He could see the alleyway. Something covered in cloth was half visible…

Roxas heard a moan. He froze in shock. The piece of cloth was a long-sleeved hoodie. He almost skidded to a halt before rushing himself forward. He turned the corner and froze.

"OH MY GOD CHANCE!" he screamed.

"What? Roxas? What's going—?" Roxas heard no more, dropping the phone. Roxas rushed over to the bleeding teen, terror and the burning sense of dread filling his stomach. Eyes emotional, he touched Chance's cheek. The boy moaned again. Roxas let out a sigh of relief. He looked down and was frozen. Chance's hand was covering a huge wound. The size was hard to tell, but judging by the amount of blood, it was deep. He saw out of the corner of his eye the corner of glass that had impaled Chance, but his attention was on Chance. He grabbed onto the sides of the boy's face, stroking them, urging him to move.

"Chance…Chance, Chance, please, tell me you're still here…" Roxas pleaded. Chance managed to open an eye open, looking slightly delusional. His breathes were quick and strangled.

"Uhhh…" he moaned in pain. "An…angel…?" He began to close his eye again. Roxas began to panic. He shook Chance lightly, causing the eyelids to flutter half open again.

"Chance, we have to get you home, come on…Get up please…!" Roxas pleaded, tears running down his face. He put the hand Chance wasn't using to clutch his stomach around his shoulder, and carefully stood the boy up, aware of him groaning in pain.

"Please, Chance, just…just hang in there…" Roxas begged, trying to keep himself calm. They began to trudge around the corner, continuing down the agonizingly-long route home. He wished someone else was here to do this. All he wanted to curl up in a corner and cry. He had no idea what had happened. Had Chance run into it by accident, was he trying to kill himself again, did someone stab him, was he going to be okay, how long had he been there…? He was all but hysterical. Still, he forced himself forward, half leading, half dragging Chance down the alleyways. The time dragged on, Roxas conscious of Chance's efforts slowly but surely decreasing.

_He's losing too much blood…_He paused, prying off his sweatshirt and lifting Chance's hand, trying to ignore the small surge of blood that came out as he did. Chance sucked in a breath, whimpering.

"Chance, Chance, please, don't do that, I can barely focus…" Roxas moaned, close to sobbing again. He rapidly tied his sweatshirt around it, ignoring the blood soaking into it. Chance put his hand on it again, sighing slightly, almost in relief. That was a good sign, right? Roxas didn't waste another second; he could see the main street. He continued down the street, suddenly wishing he had Chance's strength. Possessing the strength Chance had, he could carry his love home in time…With his own, he could only hope and pray they made it in time.

He stumbled into Demyx, Zexion, and Lexaeus, who had heard Roxas's and had come home, concerned. They all shouted out, helping Roxas get Chance in. The moment Lexaeus had the boy in his arms and was bringing him to Vexen, Roxas fell to his knees on the carpet floor. He stood himself up, and walked over to the couch. Only then did Roxas allow himself to fall on the cushions, sobbing into his eyes hysterically. Even when Axel and Sora came in to calm his frayed nerves, he remained curled up on the couch, inconsolable for a full twenty minutes. His eyes were dried up and his nose crusting over, and with a final fit, he rushed to the bathroom and threw up. He let out last of his sobs as he gagged over the toilet, Sora rubbing his back, reassuring him that Chance would be okay.

But Sora's words were empty. They all hoped that he would be okay. Only time would tell the truth.

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The moment Vexen had fixed him up the best he could, Chance was rushed to a hospital, needing medical treatment the scientist couldn't provide. No one was allowed to see him for some time. They had to wait till the next day after school before they were able to see him.

November fourth was the longest day for Roxas in the history of his life, and by far one of the darkest. He hadn't slept the night before, his stomach too twisted to relax. Therefore, the day went along at a hazy, agonizingly slow pace. He vaguely remembered being consoled by everyone, of Namine kissing him on the cheek to relax him, his friends surrounding him, never letting him be alone for more than a few minutes. Still, first and second period stretched on forever. As he stared at the clock, it seemed to take an hour for each minute to pass, the ache in his chest growing as the minutes continued.

At Plus Block, though, a call came from him from the office to be dismissed. He had gotten no note, no word, no phone call…But so long as he wasn't going to be staring at a clock for several more hours, he was grateful. Confused, but far too relieved to question it, Roxas packed up and bolted out the doors of the school, only to find his red-headed friend leaning in front of his Jaguar, a smile on his face.

"Axel?" Roxas gasped, panting as he halted in front of the red-head. The lanky teen smirked. "What are you doing here?"

Axel held up a cell phone, showing his recent call had been to DTBS. Roxas's eyes widened. "You're the one…?"

"Best friends, right?" Axel asked, beaming even brighter. "That's what we do!" He gestured to the car. "Now, let's go visit your boyfriend!"

Roxas stared at Axel in amazement. A second later, he flung his arms around the red-head, feeling his skinny arms wrap around him to return the embrace. Roxas was half tempted to sob into his chest, still feeling the ache. But they had somewhere to be. They leapt into the car, and Axel sped off, merging onto the highway within minutes.

"I got to stay home from school today for a project. The hospital called to tell us Chance is going to be fine." Roxas sighed, slumping down. Tears of ease lined his eyes. "I thought you'd want to be the first to see him…"

"Thanks, Axel. I owe you one…" Roxas sighed. Axel smirked at him. Roxas felt his brain shutting down. Even as the wind blew in his face, he felt himself getting drowsier.

"Like I said, that's what friends are for!"

"You're the best…" Roxas leaned against the back of the seat, and closed his eyes, finally being able to doze almost peacefully.

"Roxas?" He opened his eye what felt like a second later to find Axel leaning over him, shaking him awake. "We're at the hospital…"

Roxas jumped forward, almost smashing Axel in the lips with his forehead. He was out the car and following Axel a few seconds later. He couldn't express his relief that Chance was okay, but he wouldn't be able to sleep in peace until he saw the boy for himself.

He barely paid attention to what anyone in the hospital was doing. He kept fidgeting, looking down the hallway for his Chance. He looked from room to room, leaning to try to get a look in. But from where he was standing, he could see nothing of his beloved.

"Roxas? ROXAS." Spacing out again, he was jolted out of his thoughts by Axel's loud proclamation. He turned to the tattooed teen, eyes wide. "Third floor, room 60!"

Roxas didn't need to be told twice. Had it not been a hospital, he would be flying down the hallway. As it was, he was already trotting faster than anyone else in the hospital was. He got to the elevator about five minutes before Axel, twitching as it slowly climbed to the third floor, stopped on the second. Finally, he almost shoved the man in the wheelchair to get to the hall. It was completely empty, so he rushed down. _48…50…52…54…_The hallway seemed to stretch farther and farther as he continued. _56…58…_Finally, he reached door 60. Without thinking, he snatched the handle, turned it, and flew in.

It was a nice room, hospital-wise. Unlike the hospital's normal mint green and white color scheme, it was styled navy with deep gold accents. Chance lay on a royal blue bed, staring vacantly at the sports channel. Upon Roxas's entering, Chance turned his head, setting his bored eye on Roxas. Once he recognized the face, however, it brightened, widening.

"Roxas!" Chance called out, smiling brightly. Roxas slumped weakly in the doorframe, sighing in peace.

"Chance…!" He closed the door and slowly plodded over to Chance, sitting on the chair next to him, too weak to go any faster. He stroked the hair over his eye, staring at his full face. His heart beat faster, as he realized he could still keep what he had almost lost yet again. "I was so worried…!" he gasped, choking on a sob.

"I'm okay, Roxas…" Chance murmured, eyes widening. He put a hand on Roxas's lap. It was a bit paler than it was normally, but just enough to be noticeable. "It was an accident, I turned the corner too sharply…" Eyes softening, and turning guilty, the teen muttered, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? Sorry for glass in your stomach? Sorry for almost dying?" Roxas continued, eyes shutting tightly. He placed his head on Chance's shoulder gently. "Don't be sorry about that, don't say that…Just…Oh, god, Chance, I thought you were…I was so worried!" He began to bawl again, conscious of Chance stroking his hair, and a pair of gentle, dry lips pressing against his scalp.

"Shhh…Shhh…I'm okay, Roxy. I'm okay. I'll be out of the hospital in a few days. Everything will be the way it was before in no time…" Chance gently murmured into his ear. He allowed Roxas to remain where he was, as if he didn't even notice the tears dotting his comforter. Roxas calmed himself, looking back up at Chance with a weak smile, still sniffling.

"I'm just so glad you're okay…" Roxas leaned forwards and pressed his lips against Chance's cheek. "I didn't know what I would do without you…" His chest tightened as he said those words, realizing the truth behind them.

Chance's eyes seemed to brighten more at this statement. Roxas frowned slightly, alarmed at his own words. The two gazed at one another for a while. Slowly, but without hesitation, Chance leaned up and gave Roxas a kiss on the lips, deepening it further than he had gone before. Roxas barely was conscious to return it.

This was new. He mentioned caring more to Chance, and the boy reacted positively. Was that a sign…? A sign that, yes, Chance needed more emotions than what Roxas offered in order to be happy? Should he tell Chance he loves him? As he barely returned half of what he was getting from the kiss, he wondered. Chance's eyes were so much brighter after he just mentioned that…Would they brighten even more? Would his struggle to change his ways lessen? Could he be Treep's replacement?

…There was nothing to do but try. He summoned up what courage he hadn't been drained of today.

He pulled away from Chance, to say those three words, only to feel Chance's hand on the back of his head, pushing him back in gently. Though his frustration almost made him pull away, Roxas gave in, pressing his lips against Chance's, wrapping his arms completely around Chance's neck, groaning in joy. Chance rarely acted like this. Every second must be taken advantage of. He had all the time in the world to say it. Besides, for what felt like an eternity, he had thought he had lost this again.

What he thought was all the time in the world, however, turned into only another minute. This minute was wasted pressing his lips against Chance's, resting his forehead against the boy's, laying kisses all over Chance's face. The words played over and over in his head. _I love you. I love you. I love you…_Not once did they escape. He was too joyful to say a word. His lungs constricted, barely giving him enough air to breathe, let alone speak.

Just when he was opening his lips to lick Chance's, the door opened again, and he hastily pulled away. He blushed darkly, drawing in his tongue as far back as he could. Chance looked over at the door, a light blush on his face, but other than that, there was no other indication as to what they had been doing for the longest time. Roxas sighed. He would have to wait again, wouldn't he?

The doctors came in, checking a few charts and some of the machinery near Chance. Axel walked in briefly, just to wrap his arms around Chance, choking up as he tried to explain how glad he was that Chance was okay. With a nod to Roxas, however, everyone else left, except for the nurse, who merely opened the window and did a little bit of tidying up.

"So…" Roxas turned away from the nurse, and looked down at Chance. The boy sighed. "I guess I'm going to be doing your homework now, aren't I?'

Roxas's eyes widened, a shocked breath releasing from his lips. Chance STILL thought about the competition? "WHAT?" he squeaked, outraged. "No! Chance, you got stabbed in the side by a shard of glass! I'm not letting you take my History homework!"  
>Chance's eye widened. "But the bet was—!" he started, but was cut off by Roxas.<p>

"Chance, you could've died yesterday!" Roxas exclaimed, exasperated. The nurse, sensing her presence wasn't needed nor welcomed in the room, scurried out, taking Chance's empty food tray before she was out the door, shutting it behind her. "If anything, YOU should be the one getting a…" He hesitated, blushing slightly again. Still proclaiming his words, but with a less confidence, he ended, "A foot massage!"

Chance's eye widened. "Really? That doesn't seem fair!"

"Being fair is for normal circumstances…!" Roxas muttered, looking down at his laps. "I could…I could do it now if you'd like me to…" His voice was getting smaller, as the image of Chance's artistically sculpted feet came into his mind.

Chance gazed down at Roxas curiously. "If you don't want to…" he muttered.

"No, no, I want to…!" Roxas insisted, forcing himself to look Chance in the eye with feigned determination. Chance leaned up slightly, wincing as he switched his position.

"Uh, okay…That would be really nice…" he added, sending Roxas a smile. Roxas didn't reply. The blonde stood up and waited for Chance to roll the covers off. His hoodie and his normal clothing was gone; instead, he wore a medical dress, only he wore a pair of matching caprices underneath them, probably at his own request. And there they were, lying across the white mattress, unharmed, smooth, and beautiful. Roxas tried to hide his nervous gulp, crawling up on to the bed at the edge, staring down at the feet. Cautiously, he too Chance's right foot into his hands and began to rub the bottom. Chance sighed, content.

"That feels good…" Roxas smirked, digging his thumbs in. This was only the second foot massage he had ever given. However, he just naturally felt his way around, flexing the foot, bending Chance's toes, cracking his ankle…And trying to resist biting him bottom lip. The skin felt so flawless under his hands…

"So, what happened while I was gone?" Chance asked, trying to spike up a conversation.

"I'm…Actually not sure…" His fingers slowed slightly as he muttered, "I didn't really sleep well last night, so today was kind of blurry…"

Chance stiffened as Roxas stroked his foot with his fingers, sucking in a breath. He relaxed, still a dream-like expression on his face. "What was the problem?"

Roxas could've snapped Chance's foot in shock. He switched to Chance's left foot, trying to focus on the savory feel of Chance's hardened foot-skin than the absurdness of his question. "Chance, I spent half of last night thinking you could've been dead…!" he hissed, tears lining his eyes again. "I kept seeing you bleeding, leaning against that wall…" He rolled Chance's foot around. "Bleeding so much…" He bent each toe slowly. "The cries you let out…" A tear rolled down his face. "I was too worried to fall asleep…!" He leaned down, as though to keep in a sob. Trying not to let himself get to engrossed, he took a deep breath of Chance's feet, letting the unusually-pleasant aroma fill his nostrils.

"Ah…!" Chance murmured, feeling Roxas's breath tickle his feet. "You were…That worried?"

"I told you I was!" Pausing, and snatching Chance's gaze with his own, he challenged, "What if it had been me, Chance? Wouldn't you be worried about—?"

"Don't even joke about that!" Chance cried out, jumping forward. He sucked in a small breath and slowly leaned back, clutching his side. Roxas jumped off the bed, dashing to Chance's side.

"Are you okay?" he exclaimed, eyes wide with worry. Chance opened his eye, still wincing.

"It's just my side is sore…" Blinking, and ducking away, he muttered, "It hurt more to think about you like this…" He turned red. Roxas paused, staring down at Chance, his heart fluttering. He stroked Chance's hair lightly, repeating this action for a few more moments.

"That's my point," Roxas muttered. "I didn't know if I'd see you tomorrow. Everyone else was worried, but…" He trailed off, his prior confidence gone. _But I had so much more to lose…_

He was aware of Chance's questioning stare as he walked back to the edge of the bed, continuing with his foot massage. Before Chance could ask him to finish the sentence, the blue-eyed teen quickly brought up a small story from a few days ago in class, causing Chance to laugh, and continuing a conversation along those lines.

He paused from his foot massage, suddenly thinking, rather reluctantly, back to when he had found Chance leaned against the wall. He had muttered something strange when Roxas had attempted to rouse him…What was it?

He had called Roxas an angel. Why?

"Chance…When I first found you, you said something…You asked if I was an angel…" Roxas turned to Chance. "Why?"

Chance turned dark red, staring at Roxas for a few moments. He ducked his head, not meeting Roxas's questioning gaze. "I-I wasn't thinking straight…"

"What were you thinking?"

Chance didn't answer immediately. When he did, he shrank under his covers more, barely speaking loud enough for Roxas to hear. "I had asked for an angel, and…The lighting made you look like you had wings and a halo…I thought, maybe…" He ducked fully under his covers, refusing to say anymore. Roxas leaned back, gasping a little. It wasn't what Chance had seen him as. His mind wandered back, long before this day, when they had been alone on the Twilight Town Clock Tower, the evening before Chance had committed suicide.

_"I wished…I wished for an angel…I guess…I wished that it would love me like no one ever had before, and that if my parents never came back to bring me…That my angel would never leave me."_

_ "Did your angel ever come?"_

_ "Not yet…But I don't really expect it to come true…"_

_ "Cenchax…Don't give up, on your wishes…Cenchax, it's okay…It's okay…"_

_ "No it isn't…They're gone…He's gone…My family's gone…I know I have you and the Organization, but…It's not the same…"_

_ "Don't give up hope, Cenchax…I'm sure there's an angel out there for you somewhere…"_

_ "Why hasn't he found me?"_

_ "Cenchax…Things take time…But after all that waiting, happiness is just around the corner. There's always a reason to look forward to tomorrow, if only for one thing. Maybe your angel was needed by someone more than you needed him. Maybe he's been trying to reach you, but something always gets in the way. Maybe…Maybe he's already with you, every day, just waiting for you to see he's there, and ready to help yo_

_ "Don't lose hope, Cenchax. Your angel may take a long time to find you…But I know he will find you eventually."_

_ "For you…I think…I think I'll wish for that angel again…I wish that the angel I wished for years ago will still be on his way, and for him to know that I'll wait a little longer…I'll try to be more hopeful, if the angel comes as soon as it can…"_

And he had remembered exactly what he had wished for that night on the same star. '_I…I wish that…I wish that I could be that angel…His eyes opened in determination. I wish I could give my love to Cenchax, and care for him, and watch over him…And in return, I hope he loves me, too, and not run away…'_

He smiled, blushing slightly. He returned to massaging Chance's feet, trying not to show Chance how over-joyed he was at the thought of being the angel Chance had seen in his delusional state of mind. _Maybe I can still be that angel._

He was aware that, any time he wanted to, during those precious seconds alone, he could've said it.

Yet for some reason, the words couldn't leave his mouth. Angels had to be patient and wait for the right moment.

_Angels are meant to save people. They're meant to watch over those they care over to help guide them. An angel's watch needs to be constant. It needs to be direct, effective, and react as quickly as possible. The moment an option appears for an angel, the option is taken, to save their loved ones from harm._

_ However, if the angel's actions are delayed, what will that do to the one they're trying to save?_

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Story referenced was 'Sunrise and Sunset', by the way~ It's on my account, and seeing as I reference it a lot, I advise you check it out.

…What? I love to play up the danger-prone angle of chance! It makes for some good yet not always happy plots.

And did you know that Chance is a master of languages? Not all of them, but he's pretty fluent in French and Spanish, he can hold a casual conversation in Japanese, and he's starting to learn phrases in German.  
>So much smarter than I am…T_T<p>

And, please, I haven't killed him off YET. Why would I now? XD

And Roxas's foot thing…Well, if you want to know more about that, you're gonna have to go to my DeviantArt…

NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP, with luck, SOON. :D

Don't worry, there's at least another 5 or so chapters before the end~

~Cat's Eye


	8. On A Warmer Fall Day

I REMEMBERED TO UPDATE about three weeks later, BUT I REMEMBERED~

This one, I like pretty good. XP

Grammer isn't my best point.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 8: On A Warmer Fall Day**

"So, how does it look?" Chance asked, pulling up his shirt. Roxas bent down, staring at Chance's side. He leaned back from it, and then leaned closer. Up close, it was clear that Chance's skin wasn't punctured, nor was there any sign of the previous wound. However, from a few feet away, Chance looked as though he had gotten stitches over the area, making it look a little more believable.

"So long as people keep their distance, it looks believable!" Looking up, he muttered, "And it comes off in a week, right?"

Chance nodded. "That's what the guy told me!"

Chance's rapid healing powers had carried on from his days in the Organization, making his stay at the hospital shorter. He had pleaded to the doctors to let him go home, claiming he could be careful not to hurt himself. Truth be told, he wanted to get out of the hospital before the doctors noticed his remarkably quick recovery. Vexen had removed the real stitches the night before. Problem was, he still had to fake the fact that he was hurt. The stitches were just a trick so that he could get by without too many questions.

"So, what now?" The Saturday after, Chance had told Roxas to reserve the day for something special. Currently, they were walking out the house, only to find two pre-packed backpacks and a small basket waiting for them.

"It's a nice day!" Chance exclaimed, slinging a backpack over his shoulders. "I was thinking, maybe, we could go for a hike, then picnic up in the mountains…!" He added, with a shrug as though it didn't matter whether or not they went. His eye told another story, pleading for Roxas to go along with the date idea.

The prospect if trekking up a whole mountain made Roxas inwardly groan. Exercise was something Chance enjoyed doing, or Saix, or Marluxia, or even Lexaeus. But, on the other hand, besides their first date, this was the only time Chance had been the one asking to go on the date.

In the end, he smiled, trying to hide any uncertain feelings under his mask of happiness. "I think that's a great idea!" He swung the other backpack over his shoulder, and smiled brightly at the boy. Elated, Chance was out the door a second later, almost bouncing to get going.

"So, where's the car?" Roxas asked, looking for Chance's Nissan. Chance paused for a moment, smile disappearing. A scowl stretched across his face, and he looked to the side, slightly frustrated.

"I tried starting it the other day…Turns out, there was a ketchup packet somewhere in the gears, and it exploded…The thing's wrecked till I get it back from the shop…" Sighing, he looked up, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're gonna have to walk to the bus stop and take a bus to Mt. Star, unless you want to walk there, too…"

Roxas snorted, slightly amused. "Chance, I'll walk up a mountain with you, but if we have to do anything before or after we get up there, I will sit down and stay where I am until someone brings me home."

Chance threw back his head, laughing. Roxas smirked widely at the boy. He started walking forward, still enjoying Chance's laugh. When the multi-colored-haired teen was done rubbing his eye, Roxas took his hand and wrapped his fingers around it. They set off, Chance slightly in the lead, off to find the closest bus stop. Fifteen minutes into their walk, they found the familiar sign, next to two green benches, and a small shelter. An old couple and an adolescent artist sat on the benches, two furiously chatting, the other sketching as though he would never see tomorrow and had to finish a lifetime of work in two seconds. The duo decided to sit near the artist, chatting with each other, but making no effort to interrupt the dark-haired boy.

The bus rolled around five or so minutes later, a dark green automobile that had probably looked a lot nicer in her prime. They paid a small fee, then placed their backpacks ahead, Chance keeping the basket in his lap. The two conversed for the bus ride, but did nothing more. They were already getting enough odd glances as it was.

As the mountain veered into sight, Roxas stared at its disappearing peak, feeling intimidated already. Gulping, he turned to his boyfriend and inquired, "How high are we going up?"

Chance turned to Roxas, slightly mislead at first. He looked out the window, eying the gigantic shape lumbering closer. He chuckled a little and murmured, "Don't worry! We're not climbing all the way to the top!"

_But how high are we GOING…? _The backpack he had worn had seemed so light then. Roxas tried imagining its weight in several hours, after walking on a steep hill. He wasn't looking forward to that.

Chance, however, looked too excited for words, staring at the front of the bus, tapping his foot impatiently, twitching on the occasion. If such a trek could make Chance this happy, couldn't Roxas grin and bear it just this once?

They arrived at a small station at the base of the mountain. Chance immediately made a B-line to the trails, not even pausing to see if Roxas was behind him. The blonde sighed weakly. It was barely ten in the afternoon. This day would never end.

"Hey, Roxas, check out this!" Roxas trotted over after being summoned and looked at the map. None of the paths went over three-fourths up the mountain, to Roxas's relief. And Chance seemed to be mapping out a route that seemed almost possible to achieve.

"I was thinking we follow the Red Trail, cross onto Bear Path, take Deer's Dodge, and then we'll go on Yuletide Way to our spot! Then we'll just follow Flounder Fault and take the Yellow Path the rest of the way down the mountain!" Chance explained, tracing his finger along the paths. Roxas calculated the distance in his head, given the key. Nine miles. Five up, four down. It wasn't IMPOSSIBLE, but…

"Whenever you're ready!" He turned to see Chance already turning towards the Red Trail, his eye more vivacious than Roxas could remember seeing up until recently. His heart pounded a few extra times, a small blush covering his face. He had just realized Chance was only in cargo pants and a tight t-shirt, revealing much of his well-trained body. His hair glittered in the sunlight spilling over the scene, his skin glowing with health. It wasn't a particularly beautiful sight. But, to Roxas, it was one of the most magnificent things to behold.

He smiled back, eyes half-closing. For Chance. For Chance. _For Chance…_

He walked up to the boy, briefly closed his eyes as he pressed his lips against Chance's, then started their hike. Chance's footsteps didn't follow Roxas's until a few seconds later, surprise audible in each spring.

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By the time the first hour had rolled along, Chance was ahead, having taken the lead about a half hour ago. His muscles were starting to strain, but he kept his breathing even. Roxas, however, was sweating off entire sheets of water, even after he had taken his sweatshirt off. His breathes came out as ragged pants, and though he prayed and prayed for Yuletide Way to come up—the halfway mark—it refused to come into sight. He could barely tell his feet where to go, stumbling over roots, slipping on rocks, and finally falling flat on his behind as he slid on a particularly damp tree trunk. His eyes widened in fright as he began to slide down the mountain, falling back. Suddenly, a pale hand shot out and grabbed his own, slowing him to a stop.

"Whoa, Roxas! Are you okay, dude?" Chance asked, a little frantic. He pulled the younger boy to his feet and looked him over, eyes darting left and right.

"I'm fine…" Adding a smirk, he continued, "Just a bit tired…" His over-exaggerated pants drove his point further than he would have liked.

Chance sent Roxas a skeptical look. "Well, why didn't you say so?" He walked a little further on, then turned to the side, eyes locked on a group of rocks. Turning back to Roxas, he beckoned to the blue-eyed teen, calling, "Come on!"

Roxas didn't waste any time reaching to stones, sighing as he pried off his back pack and rested his feet. Taking out his canteen, he took a large sip of water, trying to gain control of his breathing. His eyes rested upon he athlete sitting next to him, hardly breathless. He narrowed his eyes at Chance. Slowly, feeling the glare brush over his skin, Chance realized he was being stared at. He turned back to Roxas, jumping to see the harsh look on Roxas's face. "What?"  
>"Jerk-face athlete…Not feeling tired…" Roxas grumbled, falling forward to rest his torso on his knees. A few moments of silence passed before Chance's light laughter filled the area, causing Roxas to smirk, ears pricked to catch every last sound that came out of Chance's lips. He felt a strong hand pat his back.<p>

"Oh, Roxas…!" he murmured in response. Roxas didn't need to see Chance's face to know his eye was as bright as ever.

They didn't stay put for very long. Not even ten minutes passed before Chance's fidgeting became more and more frequent, until he finally suggested in an insisting tone that they should start off again. Roxas winced as his feet were forced to support him again, but refused to complain. Sliding their backpacks back over their shoulders, Chance took the picnic basket, and they headed up Deer's Dodge again.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Roxas was trying to convince himself to keep moving, while Chance was intently staring around, taking in every small detail of the dying forest with his one-seeing eye. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and pointed.

"Roxas…! Look!" he hissed, even more glee in his voice. Roxas turned up to see Chance's hand pointing behind him to the right. He slowly turned around, trying to make as little noise as Chance was. The small gasp he made only reached Chance's ears.

He had been so intent on keeping himself moving he hadn't noticed the scenery. The trees were all similar shades of brown, with the occasional white trunk bleaching the area. The leaves they adorned were all shades of yellow, red, and brown, most of them gone, resting on the ground. Occasionally, a leaf would drift down to the earth, landing silently on the piles of its brethren.

Hidden amongst the trees, approximately thirty feet away, was a small group of deer, the herd consisting of only about three or four. The trail was called Deer's Dodge, true, and they had expected to see wildlife, but it wasn't just wildlife. It was one of those scenes that were too perfect for a picture. You just had to collect as much detail you could, and hope later you could recreate the scene in your mind half as perfect as the one you witnessed. Their slow, guarded movements, their small heads and lithe bodies, their flicking ears and warm black eyes. They were beautiful doe, their hides the richest tan either of the two had ever seen.

One of them froze as it made eye-contact with Roxas. His smile broadened as he stared into the depths of its eyes for a second. All of the deer stiffly raised their heads, staring at the two humans wandering their forest. Then, they were off, bounding down the pathless mountain side. The couple watched them until they were toy-sized in the distance, then turned back to the trail.

"They were gorgeous…" Chance breathed. Roxas pressed his head on top of Chance's shoulder.

"Yeah…" They didn't leave immediately. Each of them had finally realized how beautiful the fall scenery was. Their eyes could hardly get enough of it. Time slowed down to a sluggish trudge as they took the time to paint the picture in their heads forever.

A small crack in the forest—possibly a branch braking off of a tree—brought them back to reality. Chance looked forward, then pointed, eyes wide. "Hey, Yuletide Way's just over this hill!"

Roxas turned his head, eyes disbelieving, yet hopeful. Sure enough, the sign was nailed to an old wooden post, pointing down the trail. He let out a breath of relief.

"Halfway there…!" he groaned. He could do this…He could do this…

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He repeated this until he got caught on a small root in the middle of the woods. Thankfully, the ground was flatter where they were, so gravity didn't force him backwards. Still, his ankle screamed as his body went down, while his foot was trapped by the tree. He let out a cry of pain, catching himself with his hands shakily. Quickly as he could, he detangled his foot and curled up into a ball, tears wetting his eyes. Refusing to get up, he moaned in pain, willing it away. At that moment, the second thought that flashed through his mind was, _I can't do this._

"Roxas!" Chance was beside him a moment later, kneeling next to him. His eye was huge with concern, almost to the point where it was painful. He carefully felt Roxas's ankle. The boy flinched away, drawing it closer to himself.

"Owowowowowow…!" Roxas moaned, biting his lip to keep the tears in. He dropped his head onto Chance's lap, stiffening his sobs, though one or two escaped as broken hiccups. Chance stroked his hair, frustrated that he couldn't do anything more.

"Shh, Roxas…Calm down…Calm down…" He leaned down and stared at Roxas's ankle. "It's probably just twisted…Shh…Shh…" His voice was tight, the words failing to relieve Roxas's tension.

They remained in the middle of the trail for several more minutes, waiting for the screaming pain in Roxas's foot to dull to a slight throb. Roxas's gripped onto Chance's legs, trying to focus on the soothing strokes he was receiving across his hair rather than his burning ankle.

He managed to pull himself together, looking down at his foot. There didn't seem to be any blood, though his shoe was closing in on his foot…"Chance…Take of my shoe…" he whimpered. The older teen nodded. Gently lifting Roxas's head off of his lap, he was down by his feet a second later, untying the shoe and carefully worming it off of Roxas's foot, Roxas sucked in his breath, letting out small, sickly sounds, causing Chance to wince. However, he didn't stop until he was done, lifting up Roxas's pant leg to see his ankle better. It looked a bit swollen, but nothing seemed out of place…Still, Roxas couldn't imagine putting weight on it.

"We'll never get to the top this way…!" Roxas moaned. He sighed, leaning back on his arms. "And we came so far…!"

Chance said nothing. The determination in his eyes, however, spoke for him. He walked over to his backpack and looked through the contents. Then, he took everything out of Roxas's bag and tossed it into his own. He folded the smaller backpack up and threw it in. He even managed to fit the picnic basket in, after a few seconds of struggling. He slid the significantly larger pack onto his back. Then, without giving Roxas a decent warning, he kneeled on the ground and scooped the boy up into his arms, carrying him bridal style. Roxas let out a little yelp of protest, wrapping his arms around Chance's neck in bewilderment.

"What? Wha…But…" he stammered. His face flushed slightly.

"It's no problem! I can carry you the rest of the way there!" Chance beamed, his face pinker than Roxas's. He began trudging down the path, his confident stride never faulting as he continued. Roxas stared at his significant other for a few seconds, only to half-close his eyes, a romantic smile on his face. He gave Chance a small peck on the cheek.

"You're sweet…" he murmured, resting himself against Chance's body. He closed his eyes capturing the joyous look on Chance's face before they shut.

Though he was awake for the entire walk—Chance was comfortable to rest against, but his constant moving made sleep hard to come by—it passed by faster than he had thought it would. His superhero of a guy made it to the edge of the trail easily, veering off it in search of a good place to set up. They walked aimlessly in the woods, keeping the path in sight, until, twenty minutes later; they found a large meadow of light brown grass, littered with drooping flowers, tree stumps, and an overall peaceful tone. Chance gently sat Roxas on the ground, letting the blonde maneuver to avoid his right ankle.

"You're the best…" Roxas murmured as he watched Chance set up a red-and-white checkered blanket—the traditional picnic blanket. Chance let out a laugh, the blush returning.

"I try…" he murmured uncertainly. He set up lunch without making too much more eye contact, jumping slightly whenever Roxas's skin brushed against his own as the blonde attempted to do what he could to help. Roxas sighed. It was almost as though they had gone straight back to square one.

He didn't complain, though. The growling of his famished stomach didn't give him the energy to complain.

A few sandwiches, primarily tuna, but a few peanut-butter and jellies mixed in, added with a bowl of fruit, a soda each, and two Hershey bars for desert made up their meal. Both equally hungry, they dove in the moment everything was set, not speaking for a while, content with listening to the sound of teeth grinding against bread and meat, plus the silence surrounding them, interrupted occasionally by a critter dashing over the leaves, or a distant crack of a branch.

Chance lay back on the blanket, staring up at the sky. "The clouds look really white today, dude…" he remarked, eyes trained on the shapes drifting across the sky. Roxas glanced up at the sky. At the angle he was at, he couldn't see any of the clouds nearby. He crawled himself over to Chance's left and lay beside him, close enough so that they nearly touched, but far enough so that they didn't.

From this angle, there was another picture in the sky, too perfect to be captured by an artist, or a photographer, or even a novelist. The sky was too blue, the clouds too pure, the sun's rays too glowing golden. Everything was too perfect for this moment.

"They're pretty…" Roxas remarked. "I like it better when it's warmer, though…"

"That's understandable. More sports in the spring and summer…"

Roxas sent Chance a disbelieving look. The teen double-took Roxas, asking, "What?"

Rolling his azure eyes, Roxas grumbled good-humoredly, "That's all you ever care about! What time is it? Five minutes to game time. What weather do you like the most? The one with the most sports. Where are you going? A soccer field. What do you wanna do today? Let's practice our dribbling!"

Chance laughed, amused even more by the small gestures Roxas was making with his hands. They two found that they, once again, were lost in conversation. They had known each other so long, and saw each other practically every single day. Yet they still had topics on reserve to talk about, rekindling with older topics, introducing new ones, building up on recent ones…

The entire time, they remained close, staring up at the sky, occasionally glancing at one another. The sun glided effortlessly across the sky, moving what looked like several inches before Chance sat up again.

"How's your ankle?"  
>Roxas frowned, looking down. The extra ice they had put on it had numbed it, and the swelling had gone down, but it still was in bad shape.<p>

"I'm not really sure…I can't feel anything right now…" Roxas muttered.

"Think you can walk on it?"

Roxas weakly shoved himself to his knees, managing to get his left leg underneath him. Struggling and shaking, he stood up, his right leg trembling underneath him. "Y-Yeah…I think…" He looked up at Chance, attempting miserably to keep the pain and effort from lining his eyes. "Should we get going now?"  
>Chance looked over Roxas uncertainly, as if he didn't think the boy should be standing, or want the boy to be. "Well, we already ate, so we should head back…" He slung the backpack over his shoulder, grunting with the effort. He took the lead, heading back towards the path. Limping, Roxas barely managed a hobble, let alone a decent walk. Chance had to pause many times, looking over his shoulders, pity in his gaze. Roxas grit his teeth and pushed himself along, running out of breath by the time they started traveling down Flounder Fault.<p>

Finally, Chance had had enough. He strode over to Roxas, buckled the boy's legs beneath him, and lifted him again bridal style in his arms. "Roxas, don't push yourself…" he murmured, concern lining his voice. They traveled along at a faster pace now, following the gouge beside them at a safe distance.

"I didn't want to be a burden on you…" Roxas muttered, slinging his arms around the pale teen's powerful neck again.

"Dude, it's no problem! If you can't put weight on your right leg, DON'T!" A small laugh accompanied the end of his sentence. Roxas didn't speak anymore, only buried his head into Chance's shoulder, the awareness of how lucky he was to have such a fantastic lover striking him squarely in the heart.

By the time they reached the last leg of their course on the Yellow Trail, the strain was getting to Chance. Sweat beaded his brow, and his breathes were starting to become haggard, pace decreasing at a slow yet alarming rate. He stumbled over to another group of rocks and sat down upon them, Roxas managing to crawl off his lap.

"One more mile…" Chance sighed, taking a swing out of his canteen. Roxas smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry…I can walk a bit if you'd like…" he offered, trailing off. Though he hated to admit it, he still didn't think his right leg was strong enough to support him.

"I…I can manage…" Chance muttered. "I just need a bit of a…a break dude…" Guilt racked up inside of Roxas as he watched Chance slowly begin to recover, hardly regaining a portion of his energy by the time he set off again. Roxas took a few steps down the trail, only to limply fall back into Chance's arms, protesting as the boy lifted him up a third time, but making no effort to struggle away. An agonizing half-hour later, they were near the mountain station, Chance breathing harder than he had before. They managed to get themselves over to the benches, where Chance flopped down, sighing.

"All I want right now is some Mountain Dew, dude…" he murmured ruefully, regretting the two cans he had downed at lunch. Roxas pressed himself to Chance's side, heart thumping madly.

"You're wonderful, Chance…" Looking up into his mocha eye, he murmured, "You didn't have to carry me all the way down…You could've called for help!"

"…Yeah, no. I thought of that, Roxas. But my phone's back in my room…" Chance chuckled, blushing. Turning to Roxas, he asked, "Do you have yours?"

Roxas paused, dragging his arm over his thigh to his pocket, feeling the small phone inside. He groaned, leaning against the back of the bench. Chance started laughing again, ruffling up the blonde's hair. Roxas looked up at the boy, smiling sheepishly.

"Didn't think about that…" The bus came in at that moment, cutting off all other conversation. Chance carried the backpack onto the bus, Roxas just managing behind him, gritting his teeth as he half pulled half pushed himself up the stairs. He made his way to his seat slowly, but in a steadier manner, and finally placed himself beside the window, sighing with relief. The seat beside him was soon occupied by Chance, who beamed beside him.

"Alright, we're going out tonight. Dinner, movie, then whatever game you want to go to. On me…" Roxas stated, staring at Chance, as though to dare the boy to argue. Which, of course, being the overly-generous person he was, he did.

Two arms were thrown up in front of him, waving back and forth, a distressed look on his face. "Th-That isn't necessary, Roxas! It's really expensive, and how else were you supposed to get down the mountain, and—!" A pair of lips sealed his own, cutting off the end of his sentence. Roxas pulled away, his blue eyes opening slowly, in an adulating fashion.

"I don't feel like I have to, I WANT to!" He pressed himself against Chance, murmuring, "It'll be my way of saying 'Thanks' for today, and my way of doing something in return for you!" Pulling away, he captured Chance's gaze, eyes bright. "Anything you want to do, whenever, I'm buying. Anything!"

Chance pulled away, alarmed by Roxas's insistency. Thoughtful, his eyes darted away, biting his lower lip, letting his mind wander for a bit. Roxas stared eagerly at him, willing him to think of the one idea he wanted to do the most.

Blushing lightly, Chance turned back at Roxas, muttering, "Well, I guess we could go out tomorrow night, dude, and…" He bit his lip again, looking away in embarrassment. "There was somewhere…I've always wanted to go…"

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Just a cutsie wootsie chapter after all the violence. And just to show that Chance is all good from his awful-waffle injuries!

BUT WHERE DOES CHANCE WANNA GO? D:

…Wow, I really have nothing to say.

~Cat's Eye


	9. Safari

**SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN MONTHS! D:**

And…I do have an important announcement to make.

As you've probably noticed, I'm not all that hyped about the 'Taking Chances' project anymore. I know a few people read it, but…it's really not enough to build inspiration from.

**So, temporarily, I WILL be dropping Cenchax's story. :( I'm sorry, but like I said, lack of motivation, and…it's an old concept. I'm kinda tired of it.**

HOWEVER. That being said, I DID finished 'At Least He Tried' before I started posting it~ So I'm finishing up this story! :D Don't worry about that.

Oh, god, we left off on a cliff hanger in JANUARY! X_X Sorry, guys. I'm going to try to post the rest of these today.

And I could complain about this story. So much. It's really dated. X_X But, I'm better than that. :) I'll keep my mouth shut in the comments.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

I do not own 'Vampires Suck' either. Though that movie is hysterical.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 9: Safari**

"You're kidding. You never have gone to the Pride Lands EVER?" Roxas asked, eyes huge, swallowing a mouthful of spaghetti. Once his mouth was clear again, he continued to stare at the boy across from him. "That's ALL?"

Ducking his head, he focused on the color of his New York steak, blushing lightly. "I-I've always been curious about the place, and…And I remember how much fun it was to go to Ancient China…We don't have to go, dude!" he added, looking Roxas in the eye again. "We just went for a hike, dude! Maybe we should do something you want! Sides, isn't your ankle still sore?"

Letting out a snort, Roxas focused on his fork, twirling another bite of pasta. "You're not getting out of it that easily…Vexen said it just needed to be iced, and it feel fine today!" Lifting his fork and pointing at Chance, he added, "I told you, whatever you wanted! This weekend is YOUR weekend. We're eating dinner, going to the Pride Lands, and seeing 'Vampires Suck', or, so help me, I'll put myself in a corner for the rest of the day!" Pausing, he took a quick look around, in a disapproving fashion. Turning back to Chance, he muttered, "You could've picked a more expensive place…I said ANYWHERE, Cheesecake Factory, Rainforest Café, the moon…And you just picked a Ninety-Nine's," he finished skeptically. Chance ducked his head again.

"I-I didn't want you wasting all your money…!" He took his time chewing his food, as though unwilling to speak of the matter. Gulping down another bite, he muttered, "You don't really have a set job yet, it's not right for me to be spending you're mo—!"

"Chance, I work in Twilight Town every summer, every weekend, every time I get five seconds away from everything else!" Roxas insisted. "I've got more than I know what to do with!"

"No, you—!"

"You don't get to decide that!" Roxas grumbled, smirking at the boy. "If I want to spoil you…" he added, reaching out his hand to bop Chance on the nose with his pointer finger. "I'm going to, one way or another!"

Chance snorted, taking another bite. "I feel bad…"

"Chance, for the five hundredth time, DON'T. If I want to do this, IT'S FINE. Just enjoy the day!" Roxas sighed, smiling amicably at Chance. He managed a sheepish smile back, turning back to his food. Roxas frowned, feeling a slight sting come up in his chest. Was Chance really that uncomfortable around him? Still? He stood up, and slowly walked over to the opposite side of the booth. Chance took no notice of him until he realized the teen was sliding in next to him. Chance whipped around, almost choking on his steak as he swallowed a huge chunk. The words formed in his mouth, but seeing the sincere, even hurt look Roxas was giving him, he kept silent.

"Chance…You know you can feel comfortable around me, right?" Roxas asked, in a small but strong voice. Chance opened his mouth to speak, only to fall silent again as Roxas added, "You don't have to keep feeling so guilty, you don't have to hold back, you don't have to hide…" Looking down, Roxas muttered, "You can feel comfortable around me. Say what you want. Do what you want. Ask anything from me…" He leaned himself on top of Chance, keeping himself propped up with his arm, crossing Chance's side. "If we just started making out right now, for the whole restaurant to see…I wouldn't care…"

"Roxas, not here…!" Chance hissed, his mocha-eye huge. Roxas shook his head.

"I don't care. We could do it here. I wouldn't care if anyone else was looking. I only care about what you think…" He pulled away, sighing, "And you shouldn't care, either. Chance, I…" He faltered for a second. He had been making such a huge deal about it. About how they had to be in private and had to be alone together. He had repeated the words in his head so many times, and had tried to say it so many times. He had told himself that Chance HAD to know.

So, what was stopping him?

They weren't alone, this wasn't the least bit romantic, and…Honestly, Roxas wasn't fully ready to let Chance know exactly how he felt yet. But he could at least say something on the matter…

He braced himself and then muttered, "I've come to…to really care about you…And I know you love me too…So, you don't need to hold back or hide." Chance stared at Roxas for a few moments, during which Roxas sat there panicking, wondering if Chance would react at all. He could've slapped himself for not saying it. Why were those three words so hard to say?

Just as Roxas began to wonder whether or not he should've gone more into detail about his feelings, his thoughts were cut off by a pair of lips on top of his own. Chance pulled away, his eye half-closed, but filled with so much more emotion, Roxas felt like his heart jumped out of his ribcage.

"I do love you, Roxas…And if you think I should…" he murmured. "I'll try…" He was still blushing, a light fuchsia, but it was a start. Roxas smiled, then returned to his seat, staring at Chance as they ate, barely looking down to make sure if his fork was heading for his mouth. He had always hoped for a larger reaction from Chance; one of those fairy tale moments where he revealed how he felt and Chance was suddenly magically better.

However, they hadn't even been dating for a full month. Maybe it was too much for him to ask of Chance. Though the suicidal had always been able to run to him, he had never had anything like this before. Neither had Roxas. It was a huge step for him to rise up and admit his feelings, let alone the extent of them. They had so much time together to spend where he could tell Chance exactly what he felt. Besides, the multi-colored-haired teen needed to learn to relax more around his boyfriend.

As he pushed another fork of pasta in his mouth, he forced the thoughts away, concluding that he's done all he could for now. _Slow. Slow. Slow._

_ …Except for one thing._

"So, what's today's goal?" Roxas purred, batting his eyes at Chance, testing the boy. Though the blush crossed his face again, Chance kept his head up, smiling at Roxas.

"To have a good time, not to feel bad…And…to…Let loose?" Chance asked hesitantly. Roxas shrugged.

"Eh, I guess that works, too…" Chance cocked his head to one side, confused.

"What did you have in mind?"

The Devil's smile flashed briefly across his face, but disappeared before Chance could fully process it. Roxas looked away, muttering, "Oh, nothing. Just a little testing boundaries…"

Chance was beginning to feel uncomfortable, if only because of Roxas's over-the-top innocence…

_Well, it was nice of him to say those things…_

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_I guess I could try relaxing a little more…_The Gummi ship was waiting for them at home, though the commotion inside of it confused both of them.

"What the…?" Roxas padded forward, a befuddled expression on his face. Chance was a pace or so behind him, trying to look into the windows, only to see nothing but the light blue shade. Roxas pressed the button, opening the door. Axel, Sora, Demyx, Zexion, and Xion stood inside, chatting with one another. Sora looked over, eyes brightening as he made eye contact with his brother.

"Hey, look, they're here!" He trotted over and gave his brother a hug.

"Um, what are you guys doing here…?" Roxas asked, leaning away from his brother.

"We're here to join you on a Guy's Day Out!" Demyx exclaimed brightly. Xion gave a small cough. Demyx glanced at her, realization crossing his face as the two made eye-contact. Looking back at Roxas, he added, "And one girl…"Zexion rolled his eyes, muttering, "Knew it…" under his breath.

"We're not on a 'Guys Day Out', dudes…" Chance muttered, using the hand-quote sign for the three words. "We were on a date…" His stomach flipped in protest, but he forced himself to relax. It was the least he could do for Roxas's efforts.

Axel palmed his face. "I told you, Demyx…!" Zexion muttered irritably. "See, this is why no one listens to you…!"

"Aw, I was so hyped…!" Sora sighed, slumping his shoulders. He began to trudge off the ship with closed eyes, a disappointed expression on his face. "Come on, guys, let's go…" The other four followed suit, slowly and almost grudgingly. Zexion seemed unaffected, but he rarely was. Chance stared after them, apologetic. He looked back at Roxas, a pleading light in his eyes. Roxas looked at him, a hard expression on his face. When Chance kept staring, Roxas crossed his arms, the hardened expression remaining set. The stare-off didn't last long before Roxas groaned, throwing his hands up in the air and muttering, "Oh, for the love of…!" He let out an exasperated breath, muttering, "Fine, but we go to the movies ALONE."

Chance jumped, mood brightened. He took Roxas's hands in his face and gave the boy an Eskimo Kiss. "YAY!" Roxas pulled back dazed for a second. Shaking it off, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, "Stop looking so miserable and just get on the ship!"

Axel and Zexion turned around slowly in surprise, but the other three wasted no time whirling on their heels and bounding for the ship. "SHOTGUN!" The two brunettes shouted at the same time, pushing and shoving each other out of the way to get to the seat. Xion shook her head, giggling as she followed. Axel and Zexion walked calmly over to the ship, only for Axel to break away and jump into the scuffle on the ship. Roxas sighed.

"Why do get myself into these things?" he muttered, putting his head in his hand.

"Because our friends are probably all insane…" Chance chuckled, fist-bumping Zexion before the slate-haired teen walked into the ship, keeping his distance from the mass of flailing limbs near the shotgun seat.

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"Alright, so what's the plan?" Sora asked, crouching down in front of Roxas, a playful expression on his kitten-like face.

"That's for Chance to decide…" The blonde turned back to the ship, sighing. The mocha-eyed teen was still standing inside, staring in fascination at the scenery, a wide grin on his face. Sighing, he snickered, "He's still admiring the place…"

"It IS pretty impressive…!" Sora pointed out, raising a paw to point at the group of multi-colored lions nearby.

"True…" Roxas turned around, gazing at his friends. All but Chance were sitting outside of the ship, waiting for the teen. All of them had changed into safari animals. Roxas, Sora, Xion, Zexion, and Axel were all lions, while Demyx was the lone cheetah.

Sora had grown from a cub to an adolescent lion, but otherwise had remained the same. Roxas kept part of his golden locks, his coat a slightly darker shade, with his paws, muzzle, underbelly, and tail tip a light gray. The tuff at the edge of his tail was golden as his hair. Zexion kept his hair, his own pelt a lighter shade of gray-blue, with dark grey markings. Xion was a shade of stone gray, keeping her hair as well, with white points, underbelly, and muzzle. Axel was a tad peculiar; he had a full mane, but it was a mane of his disorderly red spikes rather than the average mane, and cut off a bit short. He kept his eye tattoos, his pelt maroon, with white paws, muzzle, and underbelly. Usually, he lit the tip of his tail on fire, but with Chance around, he thought better to. Demyx was sandy yellow rather than golden, his mullet remaining on his head.

"Come on, Chance!" Xion called, turning around to him. "We're going to waste time if you keep staring out at the savannah!"

"Yeah, don't you wanna explore?" Demyx called out, sending the teen a cat-like smile. Chance turned back at the group, eyes bright.

"Coming!" He bounded down the steps, transforming in mid-step. Gracefully, he went down from two feet, to four paws, managing fine for only his second transformation. His pelt was the color of charcoal, only a tone or so lighter than his pitch black hair. However, the red tips and bright blue swirls stuck out even more, his eye still covered by hair. His underbelly, muzzle, and paws were dark shades of gray. Like Axel, he had a full mane, maintaining the basic shape of his hair.

"Looking good, Chance!" Xion purred, padding over to him. He beamed at her, and then dashed off, to the watering hole nearby. He looked down into the water and let out a yowl.

"OLY SHIT I'M A LION DUDE!" He spun in a circle, chasing his own tail in excitement.

"I thought you had seen yourself as a lion before!" Sora snickered, lifting a paw to his face to hide his laughter.

"That was different! This is…This is…" He froze, stumbling over his paws. He looked himself over, craning his neck over his back, lifting his paws and balancing as he looked himself over. His eyes grew huge. "Wait, am I NAKED?"  
>Demyx fell over laughing, accompanied by Xion, Sora, and Axel. Zexion lifted a paw to his face, shaking his head. "Oh, Chance…" Roxas rolled his eyes, smiling at Chance's naivety.<p>

"When was the last time you saw lions wearing clothing on the savannah?" Roxas asked sarcastically. He trotted over to Chance and brushed up against him, purring. "Just chill out!"

Chance didn't answer, staring intently into the distance. He seemed to be process in the information. He ducked away from Roxas and sat on his haunches, staring out across the water. Roxas gazed at him, trying to read the larger cat's thoughts. Chance looked so serious and thoughtful…Did he not want to be here anymore? Was it because Roxas had brushed against him? An uneasy pit began to settle in his stomach, his frown expressing his nerve.

Everyone else was rising to their feet, padding over to Chance in confusion. Without warning, Chance bunched up his haunches, crouched back, and sprang forward, exclaiming, "First one to the tree…GO!" Fast as his heavy-set build could take him, he was bolting across the savannah, eyes fixed on a distant tree. Roxas grinned, then sprang after him. The thudding of paws behind him warned him of his friend. He faltered for a few steps, his right hind leg still a little weak, but with such a prospect in front of him, how could he possibly stop? He powered through it, till there wasn't even a slight limp in his stride.

He managed to catch up to Chance, only for the teen to suddenly double his pace, baffling Roxas to a skidding half. Sora slammed into him, falling flat on their muzzles. He groaned, rubbing his ear. "Ow…!"

"Why'd you stop?" Sora asked. Roxas sighed, staring after his boyfriend, staring at the muscles rippling under his coat as he ran, his fur glowing in the savannah's heat, eyes aglow with the challenge…He slumped, falling on his chest, sighing in a trance-like state.

"He's just amazing like that…" Roxas murmured. Sora smirked, jabbing a paw into Roxas's shoulder.

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"So, by now, we're waist-deep in string cheese, and the machine won't stop…!" Demyx continued, Xion and Axel nodding in agreement. "All of a sudden, the school's superintendent comes in…!"

As he chattered away, Roxas felt himself drifting off, letting out a yawn. It might've been the shade the group was laying in. It may that his ankle was acting up, causing him an aching, dull throb. Maybe it was that he was tired from running all over Africa in a single afternoon.

Or maybe it was that he was curled up right beside Chance's warm pelt, feeling his tongue rasp against his ear as the two listened to their friend's tales. Chance may not understand Roxas's whole feelings, but he seemed to finally grasp that, if he wanted to express his affections to Roxas, Roxas was more than willing to accept them, and give equal in return.

"Having fun?" Roxas managed to open his eyes to see his cousin giving him an amused look over her shoulder. Chance paused in mid-lick, staring at the girl. Roxas snorted.

"You're just jealous because Demyx isn't curled up with you…" Roxas challenged playfully, twining his tail with Chance's. The lioness gasped, turning her head away in embarrassment.

"Am not!" she snapped.

"Am not what, Xi-Xi?" the brunette asked, cocking his head to the side. Xion sat up, turning away from him.

"N-Nothing, Demyx!" she stuttered nervously, glaring at Roxas. Roxas chuckled, Chance closing his eye again to continue licking Roxas's ears. Roxas let out a purr, closing his eyes affectionately. Chance's body felt so relaxed next to his…_This is all I wanted…_

"So, what next?" Sora asked. Zexion lifted his head and looked over at Chance, everyone else copying the gray lion's movements. Chance lifted his head, tongue retreating back onto his mouth. Roxas was about to make a sound of disappointment when Chance put a paw around Roxas, pulling him close.

"We gotta run…Got stuff to do…" Chance explained. "You guys take the Gummi Ship. See ya back at the house!"

"Wait, how are you guys—?" Xion started, but was cut off as a blinding flash of light filled the area. Roxas squinted his eyes shut, burying his head into Chance's pelt. Slowly, he felt himself morph, legs growing underneath him, fur retracting, clothing falling over his shoulder, hips, and the rest of his body. When the bright light subdued, he opened his eyes into slits.

Chance had his arms wrapped around him, head buried in his hair, having turned human again. The two were in an abandoned alleyway in a town Roxas recognized but couldn't quite name. Chance pulled away, smiling.

"That was possibly the most fun I've had in a really long time, dude…!" Chance exclaimed. Roxas smiled.

"I'm glad you had a good time!"

"Ten minute walk to the theatre…Can your ankle take it?" he asked gently, eyes traveling down Roxas's right leg to his foot. Roxas nodded, smiling.

"I forgot you could teleport…" Roxas took Chance's hand as the two proceeded to walk. "You're too much…!" he crooned. Chance laughed in response, cheeks touching up slightly.

"I try!"

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The movie was, of course, hysterical. Chance couldn't stop laughing throughout the entire film, having far too much fun poking fun at the horrid series. Roxas himself felt his sides splitting as the movie progressed, making the connections to the book and the movie, which made it even more hysterical, he felt.

"Jacob…" Chance muttered, still snickering. "Is the BEST…!"

"CAT!" Roxas shouted, pretending to dash off after the invisible cat. Chance laugh, kneeling over as he tried to gain control of his breathing. Roxas chuckled to himself.

"Let's head back home and chill for a bit!" he suggested.

A bus-ride later, they were back at the house. Chance trotted to his bedroom, opened the door, and proceeded through it, sighing as he fell back on his bed. Roxas followed him, closing the door behind him. He smirked to himself, eyes glittering.

He had told himself to take things slow with Chance. He would admit his feelings gradually, until by January next year, Chance knew that everything he felt for Roxas, Roxas felt for him. He couldn't just expect Chance to completely change overnight.

However, there was one thing that they had done before that Roxas was dying to try again.

"Man, I'm tired…" Chance muttered. Roxas sauntered over to the bed and sat on the edge, looking back at Chance with an unreadable expression. One thing was for certain. It looked pretty sneaky.

"I'm not…" he murmured in a humming tone. Chance sat up, looking at Roxas in surprise.

"You're not?"

Roxas crawled over the bed and lay next to Chance. "Not yet." He leaned in and gave Chance a small kiss on the lips. Chance pulled away a few seconds later, in surprise.

"Yet?"

Roxas smirked at Chance again. He rolled over and supported himself, hovering over Chance. The boy stared at him, eye wide.

"Roxas? Roxas, what—?" He was cut off as Roxas pressed himself against Chance, lips digging into Chance's lips. The teen underneath him moaned in protest at first, but as always, he melted into Roxas's kiss. Roxas gripped the sides of the bed, tempted to grab Chance' hair and pull on it. He pulled away and gave Chance a second to breath, only to dive back in, still unable to satisfy his need for Chance's tempting lips. His heart rate shot up, to the point where he could hear its beating clearly. He heard a second tone under his own heart's beat. Chance's own racing heart.

He waited a few more moments, pulling away from Chance again, taking a few breathes before leaning back in. Chance met him halfway, deepening the kiss further. Roxas slowly wormed his mouth open and brushed his tongue against Chance's lips, hesitantly, but determined. Chance let out a gasp, opening his mouth just wide enough for Roxas to tentatively slip his tongue in. Slowly, he licked the inside of Chance's mouth, groaning as the flavors seeped into his own. He gripped onto Chance's hair, bracing his knees around the boy's hips.

He pulled away a second later, panting heavily. Chance lay underneath him, his breathing haggard, blushing heavily, but his eye closed in a seduced state. The teen opened his eye into a slit, then grabbed onto Roxas's collar and pulled him back in. Roxas let out another moan of joy. Chance allowed Roxas to explore his mouth further, only to shove Roxas's tongue aside with his own, stretching into Roxas's mouth. The blonde let out a long groan as he felt Chance's tongue massage the inside of his mouth, passing his tongue over Chance's, hearing the other boy moan loudly…

He couldn't believe this. Chance wasn't only letting him get away with this. He was actually doing it, too. Roxas felt as though all of his senses on the boy beneath him, as though he were the only thing in the world that could ever occupy Roxas's attention and affection ever again.

If Chance was this willing…

He pulled away and tried to get the words out. "I…I…" He fell back onto Chance's lips, losing himself. He honestly couldn't help himself. The teenager was like a drug to him right now, and feeding his addiction came first on the list. Chance moaned underneath him. Roxas pulled away, slower to lean back in this time, realizing, despite his previous words, his body was drooping with exhaustion. If he tried to prop himself up any longer, he'd fall on top of Chance.

He finally managed to pry himself away from the boy, feeling dizzy. "I'm tired now…" he muttered, giggling lightly. Chance wriggled underneath Roxas to sit up, chuckling.

"Get yourself to bed, Roxy…" he murmured affectionaltey, ruffling the boy's hair. Roxas turned his head, squinting his eyes as he smiling down at Chance. He seemed slightly off-set by the prior events, but at least he wasn't jumping away or stuttering.

"See you tomorrow…" Roxas muttered.

"See ya, dude…" Chance murmured in response, falling back into a trance-like state. Roxas turned and walked out the door. He had no idea how Chance felt at the moment; how suicidal he still was, how much he cared about Roxas, how happy he was…

But Roxas had never felt his heart get any lighter in his life.

It was only after he got to his room that he realized that he never told Chance that he loved him.

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Sexy make-out times, love that just can't be confessed, lions…

It's kinda funny how I spoil people the same way Roxas does...~

Lot going on now~ XD

Next part, hopefully up soon! Like...within the hour! XD

~Cat's Eye


	10. Coasters and Swim Trunks

…That whole thing about not complaining about chapters?

Yeah this chapter just took a piss on that. Not…too fond of this one, even by the rest of the story's standards.

Ah, well. Hopefully no one reads this. XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 10: Coasters and Swim Trunks**

"Chance…Hey, hey HEY! Cut it out, cut it out, CUTITOUT! AH-! STOP! THAT HURTS! Chance, STOP RUBBING IT EVERYWHERE! Chance, Chance, CHANCE FOR GOD SAKE, I HAVE ENOUGH SUN TAN LOTION ON!"

The shorter blonde shoved his boyfriend away, a little peeved, slick and shining from head to toe. His boyfriend stood next to him, a little way's off. Surprise flickered across his face, only to be pushed aside by hurt concern.

"You burn too easily! I just want to make sure you don't get all red today!"

Roxas snorted. "I was doing fine by myself…"

"I know, but you missed a few spots, and I just—!"

"Chance, can we just go already?" Roxas asked impatiently, sighing. The sparkle in his eyes was the only thing that suggested he was raving to go. "I've been looking forward to this all week!"

"Okay, okay!" Chance exclaimed, putting the lotion back in his backpack. "Don't blame me if you get covered in red splotches by the end of the day, dude!"

Roxas chuckled a little, taking Chance's hand and leading him to the park. He pressed his nose to Chance's cheek and muttered, "Oh, Chance…!"

Despite it being November, McKontox was always bright and sunny, not to mention unbearably hot. Roxas was suddenly grateful that Chance had advised he only wear his black undershirt and a pair of tan cargo pants. It must've been over eighty outside, making it the perfect weather for going to an amusement park, one of Roxas's favorite places in the world.

"Why didn't you put any sun tan lotion on?" Roxas accused, suddenly realizing that the light-skinned boy hadn't put any on himself.

"I did it before we left! I TRIED to tell you to, but you wouldn't listen!" Chance sighed, grinning weakly in defeat. "Sides, I don't burn like you do!"

"How can I burn?" Roxas snapped playfully, throwing out his arms. "Sora's my brother! He goes out all day in the sun and comes back with a supermodel tan!"

Chance threw back his head, laughing. "He's lived on the islands all his life! You grew up in Twilight Town, remember? That place rarely gets direct sunlight!"

"…Ohyeah…" Chance started laughing harder, squeezing Roxas's hand slightly. Roxas grit his teeth and bumped Chance's arm with his elbow. "Shut up!"

Chance rubbed his elbow, trying to halt his laughter. "Sorry, dude! You're just too funny!"

"Says the boy with the blue swirls and the rainbow ribbon around his neck."

Chance tugged at his ribbon, grinning like a fox. "Aren't you glad we're dating?"

Roxas cocked his head to the side. "Wha…Yeah, of course I am, why?" For a few seconds, he thought, with dread, he was going to have another conversation in which they talked about whether or not Roxas actually cared about Chance…

"Well, it doesn't say much about you if you're making out with the rainbow-ribbon freak!" Chance crooned, making teasing faces at Roxas. The boy looked at Chance for a moment, confused. Then he scowled, crossing his other arm.

"MEH." One worded comeback. The most brilliant of them all. He kept on his pouting face until they reached the fence. He glanced up, noticing the shade over him all of a sudden. His eyes grew larger, and his arm uncrossed. His jaw slowly began to drop.

"Oh my fucking god…" he breathed, feeling the adrenaline already pumping through his veins. Above him stood the tallest drop he had ever seen on a roller coaster. It almost seemed to brush the skyline. The riders seemed unaware of the sickeningly steep drop in front of them, the upside-down tracks halfway around the coaster, the cave the tracks flew through, the second drop that went straight upside down, the unreachable speed of the other cart, the jerking turns…!

"Oh my god, oh my fucking god, Chance, if we don't get in line for that thing RIGHT now, I think I am going to pass out…!" Roxas shouted, pointing up at the coaster. Chance traced Roxas's gaze with his eyes, and smiled. The smile quickly evolved into laughter. He gripped Roxas's hand and let the boy to the park, his dying laughter jumping up again as he felt Roxas barely move his feet, too busy staring intently at the black and red coaster glittering in the sun.

"Roxas, 'Run For Your Life' isn't going anywhere!" he chuckled. The blonde didn't respond. A small trail of saliva pooled in his mouth, dripping to make it look as though he were drooling to get on the coaster. And, who knows, he probably was!

Chance ordered their tickets as fast as he could; knowing Roxas, every second it took made him even more irritated and fidgety. Chance barely even handed Roxas his ticket before he dashed off to search for the coaster.

"ROXAS! The map's…!" Chance called out, throwing and arm out as though to catch his date. But Roxas was already weaving his way through the crowd. Chance drew his arm back, smirking.

"In my hands…" Shaking his head, he shoved the map back into his back and bolted after the fair-haired teenager, who ended up stopping about five times, looking left and right confused, only to turn in the vague direction of the coaster. Chance finally grabbed him around the waist when he had halted again and swung him into the air. Roxas let out a small shriek of protest, blushing slightly.

"CHANCE! Put me down, we gotta find the coaster!" he complained, crossing his arms and pouting. Chuckling, Chance put him down, though he kept his arms around Roxas to keep the boy from running off.

"Roxas, RELAX. I gotta map right here!" Chance exclaimed, holding up his backpack. Roxas was already reaching for it, struggling in Chance's iron grip. Releasing the boy, he held the backpack high in the air, just above Roxas's reach. The boy jumped, whining, but to no avail.

"You're being mean!" he whimpered. Masking his face with his best puppy-dog pleading face, he murmured, "Please may I have the map?" He even stuck out his bottom lip at the end of his sentence to further add to his face. Chance smiled warmly at the boy.

"Of course you can…" he murmured. He lowered the backpack and took the map out. Handing it to Roxas, the blue-eyed boy all but tore it out of his hands, eyes darting across it. With a small shrill, he pointed.

"There it is!" Looking left and right, the back to the map, he murmured, "Where are we?"

Chance peered over Roxas's shoulder. It was a large park, but pretty well-planned, making discovering their location easy for the patient mind. He lifted his hand and indicated their spot with his pointer finger. "Right there!"

Roxas's head flew up. "That means it's THIS WAY!" He took a lunging step towards the coaster, only to pause, turning around. He looked at Chance, as though torn between the mocha-eyed teen and the thrill ride of his dreams. Slowly, with a strained air, he walked over to Chance and handed the teen the map. When Chance was done shoving it back into his bag, Roxas offered a hand.

"Can we go now?" he asked, batting his eyes twice at Chance. Chance smirked, and leaned in. He hesitated in the last second, murmuring, "May I?"

Roxas leaned up and completed the kiss, feeling Chance's lips gently press against his for little more than a second. Roxas pulled away, smiling sweetly, eyes half-closed. "You don't have to ask for that…" he purred.

Five seconds later, Roxas switched between letting Chance lead and all but pulling the teen's arm out of his socket. The walk lasted almost a month in Roxas's eyes, but in reality, it only took them two or so minutes to reach the giant. Surprisingly, there were only two other groups in line. Chance, leading Roxas to the line, approached one of the families. "Hey, what's going on here?" he asked casually. The father, a slightly over-weight, black-haired fellow, turned to him, amicably enough.

"Someone threw up on the ride earlier, so they shut it down for a while…" He chuckled slightly. "Everyone ended up leaving except for us…"

"Their loss is our gain!" Chance added. The man laughed.

"The chums!"

"What luck!" his wife added, pointing the an attendant coming away from the coaster with a trash bag. "I think it's open!"

Roxas let out another squeak of joy, waving his fists back and forth in front of him. Chance let out another chuckle.

Within minutes, the families were on the coaster, though Roxas and Chance somehow still managed to get the front row. As they slowly lurched for their first climb, Roxas craned his neck, looking back. He smiled, satisfied.

"Look, the line's already getting long!" Chance craned his neck around. Sure enough, already twenty people were standing under the shade of the small enclosure, tapping their feet, gossiping…and waiting. Chance smiled.

"We were just in time!"  
>They finally began to climb. And climb. And climb. And climb. And…Oh, wait, no, just more climbing. This would never end…!<p>

Roxas felt his heart pound faster and faster, the adrenaline blasting through his veins. He could no longer look down without giving himself a dizzying headache, so he kept looking forwards, staring into the clouds, which looked so close, he felt as though he could touch them…He noticed Chance, out of the corner of his eye, raising a hand, trying to bat at the white mist above them.

Finally, they reached the top. The coaster stopped. Roxas let out a small shriek. The drop was right underneath them. Ninety degree angle, halfway down. He snatched Chance's hand.

"We're gonna freaking die!" he groaned, which developed into a scream as they fell forward, gaining speed at an alarming rate. He felt himself being pushed into the back of his seat, the wind rushing past him so quickly he could barely keep his eyes open. Up, over, upside down, around pillars, beneath the other track, lurching around a wall…Roxas continued to scream out in a mixture of fear, hysteria, and over-all enthusiasm, aware of Chance screaming right next to him.

Finally, they reached the second climb. Roxas breathed deeply, loosening his grip on Chance's hand.

"I don't know if I can handle much more awesome, dude…!" Chance commented, eye wide with excitement. Roxas managed to smile through his gasps.

"Yeah…This is…The best…!" He took one last gulp of air, then sighed deeply. He closed his eyes, hanging his head. "Are we at the top?"

"Now."

Roxas opened his eyes and looked over at Chance, confused. "What?"

"Now, Roxas, we're gonna diENOW!" Chance shrieked. The coaster flew down the tracks faster than it had before, almost as though pushed by an invisible force. Roxas hollered again, his ears blocking out all sounds except for Chance's screams and the rant of the woman behind him, who was positive they were all plummeting to their deaths. It went up, down, up, down, upside-down, corkscrew, loop, around a poll, and then brushed over the other coaster.

Finally, it lurched to a stop, causing everyone to fly against their seat restraints. Everyone gasped and gagged for a few moments, trying to catch their breathes. Roxas and Chance turned towards each other, their lungs relaxing as they caught each other's eyes. They both burst out laughing and lifted hands to high-five.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Chance called out.

"I KNOW! We were RIGHT IN FRONT!" Roxas shouted. His eyes closed as he recalled the horrifyingly erratic ride…

They got out of their harnesses, retrieve Chance's bag, and walked out the gate. They stood on solid ground, shaking slightly, but too joyous to care. The background noise from the park mixed with the silence between the two. Honestly, other than that, there was nothing else Roxas wanted to do.

"…Well, now what?"

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"A garden tour!" Chance answered several minutes later, after leading the blonde halfway across the park. Roxas let out small whine.

"Why do you make me walk? I don't like walking! We already walked so much this week! WE WALK NO MORE," Roxas declared. Chance smirked at the teen. He held out his backpack.

"Roxas, do me a favor and carry this for a bit…" he said. The teen sighed. Taking the pack from Chance, he looped it over his shoulders.

"Meanie, making me carry yourWHOA—!" Cutting himself out, he suddenly found himself lifted off the ground. Chance somehow managed to get the boy on his back without him noticing, arms underneath the teen's knees, bent over slightly. Roxas smiled, wrapping his arms around Chance and resting his head on his boyfriend's mass of disorderly hair.

"Okay, this I like…" he muttered, sighing contently. Chance chuckled, and proceeded to carry Roxas towards their destination, wherever that may be.

"I never got to finish, dude!" Chance continued, barely affected by Roxas's weight on his back. As he walked forward at a heavy yet swift pace, he explained, "We don't walk, it's a ride!"

"That's nice…" Roxas murmured, eyes closed. Chance felt a nose press into his hair, and a small tickle as the boy took in a deep breath. The golden-haired let out a sigh.

"What shampoo do you use in your hair…?" the seemingly-tired teen asked. Chance felt his face flush slightly at the question.

"Um, I just use the store brand…!" he muttered, unsure of how to respond to the unusual comment. Or compliment. Or whatever Roxas had meant it to be. Chance wasn't exactly sure.

The teen on his back pressed his cheek into his hair. "Your feet smell better, though…" Roxas muttered, too quiet for Chance to discern, but loud enough for him to hear Roxas make some form of noise. Turning his head, he tried to get a look at Roxas's face, only to find the task was quite difficult.

"Hmm? What?"

He felt the boy stiffen. "Um, y-you probably just smell good then!" Chance wasn't quite certain whether or not Roxas had actually said that to begin with. Deciding to let the subject drop, he turned his head back forward, feeling Roxas relax as the subject was soon forgotten. A few steps later, they turned the corner. Chance stopped, staring at the building ahead of them. His eyes grew wide, a smile splitting across his face.

"There it is!" Roxas raised his head and pressed his chin against Chance's forehead, looking ahead. A large building loomed in front of them, not tall, but very wide. It was covered in navy-colored windows, framed by light gray steel. Roxas squinted, disapproving of the light bouncing off the windows and into his eyes.

"Okay…" Roxas muttered, closing his eyes.

Chance suddenly stopped, craning his neck around to send Roxas a skeptical look. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

"I was too excited…I didn't sleep at all…" Roxas admitted guiltily. He had tried to sleep. He had tossed and turned for half the night. He switched rooms. He remembered walking into Chance's room and trying to lie by him—not that he would admit that—and when that didn't work, he tried Axel's room, he tried counting sheep, and reading. He drank hot milk, thought of the most boring school lectures, gave himself a list of mini chores to do in the middle of the night…But to no avail. "The roller coaster made me sleepy again…"

"Roxas!" Chance exclaimed, eye wide, a frown replacing his smile. "I wouldn't have brought you if you had told me!" He began to walk forward, but he trudged slowly, in a rocking manner that made the blonde's eyelids droop even further.

"You never sleep…" Roxas protested, as though to defend himself.

Chance rolled his eyes. "Roxas, I've been without sleep for years. I have insomnia. YOU don't."

"It's one night…"

Though Chance made a sound of disappointment, he said nothing more on the matter. Roxas felt himself threatening to doze off, jerking his head up every few steps in a desperate attempt to stay awake. He managed to keep awake all the way to the building.

"I wanna wake up…" he muttered. "I wanna go on rides…" He felt Chance stand straight up, and slid off the older boy's back slowly, leaning on him as he stood. He stumbled slightly as Chance moved to take the backpack off his back and slide it over his own.

"We'll go on the tour. You can sleep then!" Chance suggested, smiling.

"But it would be rude…" Roxas muttered.

"Roxas, I've gone on these tours before. Half the people are asleep before the tour guide even intrudes themselves." Looping his arm around Roxas's to guide him; he gave the boy a small tug. "Come on, Rox, the next ride is starting!"

Too tired to resist, the teen followed Chance with closed eyes, hoping he wouldn't bump into anything. He could only imagine what was inside. He forced his eyelids to part as Chance suddenly stopped. He quickly deduced that they were in line slowly proceeding to the actual ride. He managed to keep half an eye open while they waited in line. The ride itself seemed to proceed into a jungle, which would've been normal, only these plants were real. The ride was a bunch of emerald Jeep-shaped shuttles attached to each other. Chance went into the middle bench of the first cart, guiding Roxas into his seat. The moment his rump hit the seat, Roxas pressed himself against Chance, using him as a pillow. For a few minutes, the silence around him slowly began to lull him. He could feel himself drifting off…

"Hello, my name is Stacy, and I will be your tour guide of the McKontox Gardens today!" The shrill female voice pierced through Roxas's head, causing him to wince. He let out a small moan, and managed to open his eyes. He sent a glare up at Chance, who smiled sheepishly at him.

"I didn't know it would be this loud…!" Chance muttered. Roxas sighed, burying his head deeper into Chance's shoulder. He ignored the stupid, shrill-voiced woman's speech on allergies and pregnancies and butterflies and touching things. Attempting to block the sound out proved to be fruitless, so Roxas just focused on the comfortable mass beneath him that was Chance. He vaguely took note of the tires moving beneath him, but was too tired to register anything else.

Chance looked down at Roxas, letting out a small exasperated sigh. He knew this state. He himself had been like this after several days without sleep. It was a state of exhaustion where you were too tired to even fall asleep. _I guess it's my fault…_Guilt built up in his stomach. If he hadn't gotten Roxas so pumped about the trip, he might not have been up all night…

He shook his head. It was too late now. He was on the ride, and was honestly curious about what types of flowers the tour would show them. Listening to Stacy's jabber, he looked left and right, taking in the vegetation around him.

Giant red flowers, Venus fly traps, poisonous butterflies, deathly berries…It was actually a pretty interesting tour. The colors were vivid and eye-catching, while Stacy's facts sheet seemed to never run out. Almost every single plant along the ride got its own small speech. The pussy willows, the rosebushes, the yew berries, lavender…It even had a section of pictures along the walls of plants that wouldn't survive in the climate or were so rare none could be found to put in the exhibit. He let out a small chuckle when he heard the talk of the paopu fruit, and how 'researchers were struggling to get it to the exhibit'. _You can't replant a destiny planner. Vexen deduced that months ago._

And of course, there were the butterflies. Monarchs, painted ladies, leopard lacewings, swallowtails, dogfaces, tigers, longwings, checkerspots…and about a hundred others that Chance couldn't name. They fluttered in front of his face, floating around without a care, as though the people weren't there. He missed half of what the woman said just staring at the insects drifting around. They seemed especially fond of the boy sleeping on his shoulder, resting on him for minutes at a time, only to be brushed off as the boy waved his arms around in protest, moaning tiredly.

The tour lasted a good twenty minutes, which were entertaining to Chance and mildly relaxing for Roxas. Chance looked over at the teen. Stacy's voice had stopped a while ago, and the standard 'Goodbye' speech was read by a recording. It must've been quiet enough to slide over Roxas's ears, for the boy had completely fallen asleep. Chance was tempted to press his lips against the boy's cheek, but feared waking him. He compromised by smiling warmly at the boy.

"Aw, he's so cute when he's asleep…!" he heard someone his nearby him. He said nothing in response. All he did was reach underneath Roxas and lift the boy up, holding him in his arms. The blonde still didn't stir, only rolled his head slightly as he slept. Chance's heart fluttered. It still wasn't beating. But it was trying so hard.

He walked into the lobby, and sat down, laying Roxas across the seats beside him, letting the blonde's head rest on his lap. As he stroked the blonde's hair, he pondered over what he could do. If they walked outside, the combination of the sunlight and the endless babble would wake Roxas up. But, despite the devotion he felt to Roxas, he didn't fancy spending hours inside here, waiting for Roxas to wake. They had to find something to do to wake the boy up…

"The water park!" He jumped slightly to realize there was a boy standing near him, looking down at him with an amicable smile on his face. His glasses hid the color of his eyes, and a hat hid his hair.

"Excuse me?" Chance asked.

"You want to wake him up, right? Go to the water park! The water there's cold!"

Chance slowly smiled. It was pretty hot outside, and it would be a nice place to relax. Sides, Roxas could sleep on one of the chairs while Chance ambled around. He looked down at Roxas.

"Thanks…Wait…" he paused, frowning. The stranger had somehow known he had wanted Roxas awake. "How did you know that I wanted…?" He trailed off uncertainly as he realized the stranger as gone. He looked around, eyes peering through the group of people nearby, but couldn't spot whoever it was. He sat there, puzzled for a moment. Then, he shrugged the moment off. He gently shook Roxas's shoulders. The boy let out a loud objecting moan. Chance leaned down, his lips near Roxas's ear.

"Roxas…We're gonna go to the water park now…" he murmured. Roxas sat up, yawning loudly, stretching his arms. He reached his hands back and rubbed his eyes. Though his left hand pulled away a second alter, he kept itching his right eye, mumbling sleepily as he turned to Chance.

"We need to change…" he muttered. Chance smiled, patting Roxas's shoulder.

"We'll do it when we get there…" He stood up, offering Roxas a hand. "Come on, let's get moving."

The teen managed to get to his feet, though for the most part, it was Chance supporting him as they stood up. Roxas slid on the backpack again, and stumbled through the lobby, Chance's hand the only thing keeping him going. He squinted as the bright sunlight assaulted his eyes, lifting a hand to shield them for a few moments. They continued walking, off to the side. Chance stopped Roxas and crouched down.

"Wanna ride?" he offered. Roxas fell onto Chance's back, resting his head against the boy's shoulder as Chance stood back up.

"You're the bestest ever…" he murmured, trailing off into a mumble. "I have to do more nice things for you…"

Chance smiled, a blush stretching across his face. "Roxas, as long as you're happy, I'm happy…" The couple said nothing more as Chance carried the teen around the park, only pausing twice to check a map standing nearby. The warm sun made Roxas doze again, which was constantly interrupted by a sudden scream, or Chance stumbling on this or that.

The walk lasted no more than ten or so minutes, before the cool spray from the water began to mist their faces. Standing in front of them was a giant water park, with a wave pool, several waterslides, a few water rides, a lazy river, and all. Roxas sighed, already feeling the cool water running over his burning body. He hadn't realized how hot he was until they walked out of the shade and into direct sunlight.

"Tell Axel the sun's too hot…!" he complained, waking up a bit more. Chance laughed. He stopped, and stood up straight again. Roxas slid off Chance, stumbling a bit as his feet hit the ground. He held out his hand, hoping Chance would take it and lead him to the changing room. "You have your suit on already, right?"

"Duh, dude!" Chance beamed, smiling at Roxas with a closed eye. Roxas smiled back at him, eyes still half closed, thinking of his own yellow and blue trunks underneath his pants. At least there was something he had done this morning!

Only thing he had really forgotten was suntan lotion and sleep.

The two walked into the changing room, though once again, Chance was leading. Roxas forced his reserve energy to stop dragging his feet and start actually picking them up for a change. He let out a draw of air, cursing his exhaustion. Why couldn't he have slept last night? Couldn't he wake up now?

"What do you mean all taken?" Chance asked, confused. Roxas finally tuned in the conversation between himself the woman behind the counter, about getting a changing room with a locker.

"I'm sorry, all of our other double changing rooms are taken…"

Chance sighed, thinking for a moment. Waving his hand in the air, he muttered, "Could you please tell me what else you have?"

The woman typed rapidly, the screen coming up with several pages before she found the ones she desired. "We have four triples open up, and a large single…"

"How much for the single?" When the woman looked skeptically at the boys, Chance turned red, muttering, "We just need the room to keep our clothes in! We already have our suits on!"

She gave Chance a look over for a few moments before accepting his sincerity. She looked back at the screen. "Five dollars an hour…"

"Super, we'll take it!" The woman nodded, smiling amicably at the boys, though there was a warning light in her eyes. She lifted a key and handed it to Chance. After thanking her for the room number, the two walked off down the hall, careful not to slip on the damp floor. Roxas realized he had no idea what was going on; though he had listened to the conversation, not even half of it had registered in his mind.

"What just happened?" Roxas asked. Chance looked down at him, confused. "I was half asleep through all that…" he admitted. Blushing again, Chance rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

"I couldn't get us the double, so we're gonna split a single…" Opening his eye again, he asked, "Is that okay?"

"We both have our trunks on, so we won't need to strip or anything…" Roxas muttered. Briefly, his mind flashed to a dark, candle-lit room, the aromas of Old Spice and sea-salt filling his nostrils. The lighting in the room perfectly flattered everything that it bounced off of. He imagined Chance standing at the edge of the bed, slowly taking his shirt off, posing, reaching his thumbs into his pants, batting his eye at Roxas…Licking his fingers, shirt off, eyes glittering with lust…

He hadn't realized it, but his face was getting darker and darker as the thoughts continued. It only high-lighted the whites of his huge eyes. His spine was all of a sudden erect, his mind racing with too many counter thoughts to be tired anymore. What was he THINKING? Seriously, what WAS that? He was sixteen! He shouldn't even be ABLE to think about that! His heart beat faster and faster, and a part of him was wishing that would actually happen. A part of him he was currently crushing with every mental block he could think of, but a part of him, none the less. A hand lifted in front of his face as he bit on his nails, hoping the pressure in his nose would die down soon.

"Roxas?" the mocha-eyed teen of his fantasies asked, turning his head to look into Roxas's eyes. Roxas turned away from Chance, turning darker. Chance couldn't crane his neck like that; it made his neck muscles bulge…! _Oh my god, oh my god, Chance, fuck, no, no, DO NOT WANT…!_

"N-Nothing…" he muttered guiltily, curling his fingers up nervously. He kept his eyes off of Chance, waiting for the pressure in his nose to die down. He sighed in relief as it did. The fantasy was burned in his mind forever, but he could at least put it aside for now to enjoy the rest of the day. Or at the very least he convinced himself that he did NOT actually want ANYONE that way. Even if he told Chance he loved him right now, despite what his hormones said, he wanted no part in that kind of relationship yet, possibly ever. _At least I'm awake now…_

They got to their room—room 365, halfway down the hallway—and unlocked the door, walking in. Chance closed it behind him, then taking a look around. It was relatively small, but large enough for two people to walk around in. There was a small locker in the corner, and a bench nearby. Roxas wasted no time taking his shirt off, worming out of it.

"Come on, Chance, let's get go—!" He cut himself off as he turned to the teen. His eyes grew large again, the blush returning. Chance's shirt was on his shoulders, his fingers fiddling with the zipper of his pants. Roxas's prior thoughts had been less flattering than reality; that was all he could honestly think. His chest was more toned, his abs better shaped, his shoulders more powerful…Roxas gulped, trying to dart his eye away before Chance looked up. At this, he was unsuccessful. Chance was NOT beautiful. Despite Roxas constantly praising his boyfriend's looks, the boy didn't have the right face to be one of the pretty boys. But his body made up for what his face lacked.

"Let's get going?" Chance finished, done unzipping his pants, having them pulled off. Roxas turned away from the teen, tossing his own shirt aside. Every molecule in his body was screaming at him to turn around, to take in the artist-sculpted body behind him, but he forced himself to remain turned around. Dating or not, staring at anyone without their shirt on was just weird…

"Um, yeah…" he muttered nervously. At least he wouldn't have to deal with this for…

Then, it hit him. They were going swimming. Of COURSE Chance was going to have his shirt off…He practically snapped his spine, standing up quickly as he did. His heart seemed to forget how to beat for a few seconds, and he swore that the room was spinning left and right. Great. Fantasy of striping Chance, followed by a swimming edition Chance. And he was to cope how? He fell back a little, dazed. _I am DEFINITELY awake now…_He thought about Chance's build again, biting his bottom lip. _Bright side…bright side…Um...Good view?_

_ …Stupid hormones._ Honestly, he that freakish thought was the first time anything like that had ever happened to him ever. Roxas KNEW he wasn't that kind of person. He had seen Chance in swimming trunks before, even when he had realized his feelings for the boy. This was the first—and possibly the only—time this had happened. Roxas…just didn't want to chance that.

"Roxas?" He forced himself to look at Chance, keeping his eyes level with Chance's own. The teen was standing behind him, a towel over his left shoulder, his right hand resting on his hip. "Getting ready soon?" He was blushing slightly, too, but the amusement in his eyes balanced it out. At first, Roxas felt a bit disappointed about Chance not making a big deal with him in just his swimming trunks. Then, with a jolt, he realized Chance had been in love with him far longer, and, if this had ever happened to him, he had dealt with it before.

"Roxas?" the teen asked again, confused by Roxas's silence.

"Hmm? Oh, um, yeah…" Roxas tore his pants off, kicking off his shoes. He snatched up his towel and sprang towards Chance, eagerly taking his hand and walking side by side with the boy. Though he relaxed himself enough to feel comfortable around the paler boy, he couldn't help but sneak a glance on the occasion at him. The only thing the teen had on was his waterproof armbands, his rainbow ribbon, and his red and black swimming trunks.

Chance was flawed. He was suicidal, he was a bit clingy, he wasn't the smartest, or the strongest, and he wasn't the best looking.

But…

"DA-AMN, dats a faine paiece of ayass rite ova dear, aint it, hun?" Word for word, that's exactly what came out of that woman's mouth. Roxas turned to see a dark-skinned woman gawking at the multi-colored haired boy holding his hand, giggling with her friend. He snorted. _Not exactly great vocabulary, but…Yeah, that's pretty much it…_He blushed. It was inappropriate, but true.

He turned back to Chance. As usual, the boy was in his own little oblivious world, not even noticing the girls behind him. Roxas let out another snort. He shot a glare at the girls, then leaned over and gave Chance a long kiss on the cheek, just to shove it in their faces. He pulled away to find a baffled Chance staring at him.

"What was that all about?" Chance asked.

"I can't just kiss my boyfriend on the cheek when I feel like it?" Roxas asked, glancing back at the girls and putting a little more emphasis on the word 'boyfriend'. They gawked, but said nothing more. Chance smiled at him, eye closing, a small rose color tinting his cheeks.

"I guess I can't argue with that…" he chuckled, raising a hand to rub his cheek. Roxas smiled. They walked again in silence. Roxas would open his mouth to say something, but, to look over at Chance to start a conversation; he had to steal a glance at the boy's entire being. Mouth shutting instantaneously, he looked forward again. Chance seemed content with the silence for once, making no attempt to converse with the teen. It got to the point when Roxas would just keep flicking his eyes to Chance, trying not to make his obvious staring noticeable to the teen. Eventually, however, he knew something had to be said.

"Um…Do…Do you work out?" He could've slapped himself for letting something like that slip out of his mouth. Chance's pace slowed beside him, a blush crossing his face.

"W-well…When I get the time…I…I do a bit…" Roxas's face darkened, realizing the awkwardness of the situation. They walked together, their hands only half gripping each other, their discomfort evident. Roxas sighed. He could be such a hypocrite. He went on and on about how Chance should feel comfortable, Chance should let loose, Roxas could handle whatever affection Chance threw at Roxas…And yet Roxas was uncomfortable right now. They've been together for almost month. Roxas was not the leading expert on how fast couples moved, but HE wanted to be comfortable talking about anything around Chance.

Starting with his fine-tuned body.

"It's just…It looks good…" he commented, still turning darker. Chance tensed, unsure of how to react.

"R-Really?"

"Y-Yeah…People are kinda looking…" Roxas glanced around. He had always felt confident that, because of Chance's unattractive face, his disorderly hair, and his strange tattoos, plus his sexuality, he would be safe from any competition. But he couldn't help but notice that it wasn't just those two women earlier who were looking at Chance. He narrowed his eyes at a teenager who bat her eyes and giggled at Chance, hissing at her when Chance wasn't paying attention. He turned back to Chance, staring uncertainly at the boy's physique. Suddenly self-conscious of their relationship, he pulled Chance closer, wrapping his arms around his. Chance jumped slightly, skin heating underneath Roxas. The blue-eyed teen closed his eyes, his cheek resting against Chance's shoulder.

"Hmm? Hands not good enough anymore, dude?" the mocha-eyed teen asked, letting out a small laugh. Roxas opened his eyes and looked at Chance, slowing their walk. He smiled at Chance, the blush on his face the only indication that he was embarrassed to say the following.

"You just look so good, I'm afraid if I don't cling to you, someone will snatch you up…!" he crooned at the older teen. Chance flushed, and glanced around. He didn't notice anything different. He looked down a Roxas, flustered.

"I-I don't notice anyone…" he muttered. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"It's because you're oblivious to everything…I thought you said you could read people!"

Chance rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not that simple…" Putting his hand back by his side, he added, "I never even knew you liked me until you told me…"

Roxas protruded his bottom lip, pouting slightly. _And I made it obvious enough…_He craned his neck around, watching the girls around him warily. One group was giggling hysterically, staring at Chance with goo-goo eyes. Roxas tugged at Chance's arm, pointing over to the group. "See what I mean?"

Chance turned to the group of girls. Something must've been pretty funny, for they kept laughing, looking down at their cell phones. Maybe there was a funny video they were sharing? A few looked up at him and gave him a casual wave. He waved back, smiling.

"Roxas, I think you're being paranoid…" he muttered. Roxas gawked at him for a moment. Chance leaned back, a bit surprised. "They're probably just texting people about something funny, dude!"

"Or saying they saw a complete hottie at the water park…" Roxas grumbled under his breath, blushing lightly. Chance pushed the small compliment aside, leaned down, and gave Roxas a small kiss on the cheek. He pulled away, smiling gently at the boy, eyes warm. Baby blue eyes stared back at him in wonder, blood flying through his veins.

"Roxas, even if they were looking at me like that, it doesn't matter…I only…" He trailed off, blushing. Roxas leaned in with anticipation.

"You only…" he prompted. Chance leaned away, biting his bottom lip nervously. "Chance, you can tell me anything…" Roxas murmured, shaking his head, keeping eye contact with his other. The taller teen stared down at him for a few more moments. Roxas sighed. "I just called you a hottie and said your body looks good. COME ON…!" he whined, blushing. Chance matched his facial color, and was silent for a few moments more. He let out a small heave; closing is eye for a moment. When it opened again, it was tenderer than it had been before.

"Roxas, out of all the people here, I…I only have my eyes on you. You know that, don't you?" Chance asked, leaning down a bit more to rest his head against Roxas. Blushing, he muttered, "I still don't know how to act in a relationship, but you want us to be comfortable around each other…" He took in a small whiff of Roxas's hair, then leaned back down, capturing the boy's gaze with his own. "I love you, Roxas. I don't love the people here, or the girls over there, or anyone else. So why does it matter if people look at us, right?" he added, sending a small smile to the teen.

For a few moments, Roxas stared at Chance. They had completely stopped walking, standing just outside the changing area. His heart seemed to have dropped down to his feet, stricken with a sudden over-dose of adoration. His hands flung up, grabbed the sides of Chance's face, and pulled him into a fiercely loving kiss. Chance immediately kissed him back, wrapping his arms around the boy's skinny frame. Roxas pulled away, eyes vibrant, an equally upbeat grin stretching across his face.

"That's all I ever wanted to hear…" he murmured. Chance smiled, leaning in to give Roxas a small Eskimo kiss.

"And you're awake now?" Chance asked. Roxas laughed lightly.

"I couldn't be more awake if I wanted to…!"

**Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline**

I warned you about this chapter, bro.

Let's just get this over with…~

Ohgodthisispainful.

~Cat's Eye


	11. Anniversary

This one…is cute. And okay. I'll accept this one. Just barely. XP

The title is a dead give-away. ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

**Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline Thisisaborderline**

**Chapter 11: Anniversary**

"Chance?" a small blonde called into the dark room. He felt along the walls, fumbling for a few moments before finding a light-switch. He flicked it up. The room lit up, but it was still empty. He looked around, confused. He looked back at his inbox. "Meet me in my room…" he read out-loud, still confused. Right after school, he had gotten that message from his boyfriend, who he had barely seen hair or hide of all day, even between classes. The teen would be just turning a corner when Roxas saw him, and by the time Roxas reached that corner, he was gone.

"Chance, where are you?" he asked again, striding into the room. He opened the closet door, peering in there. He hadn't expected Chance to be there, but he tried anyways, wondering what the teen had up his sleeve this time.

"Chance, why did you want to…?" He trailed off as he turned around, eyes locking onto an object on the bed. It was a small piece of paper with his name written on it. He strode over, picked it up, and unfolded it. He quickly scanned over the lines.

"_Probably wondering why I'm not here right now. Follow the clues to get to your destination!_

"_Top shelf of the fridge, container to the left. It doesn't quite fit with a fowl crowd._"

Confused, he put the note in his pocket. The sense of adventure came over him, and he was trotting to the kitchen, only pausing to greet Xemnas and have a small conversation with Demyx. Were they smiling extremely big for any reason?

He walked into the kitchen, finding Zexion bent over in the fridge, picking out this and that. "'Scuse me, Zex…" Roxas muttered. He pulled the paper out, striding over beside the slate-haired teen, going over the hint again. "Top shelf to the left…" he murmured under his breath. He looked up. To the left, there were at least a dozen containers of left-overs the former Organization refused to throw out for one reason or another. And at the top there were at least twenty alone. He looked back at the note. With a start, he realized 'foul' was spelt 'fowl', which struck him to be odd. Suddenly, his face lit up.

"The eggs!" he exclaimed out loud. He put the note back in his pocket and snatched the eggs container; it had been right in the front. He opened it. Sure enough, there was a blue, plastic Easter egg sitting in the container. He pulled it out and placed the eggs back. Zexion looked up, a confused expression on his face as he stared at the egg.

"That doesn't belong in there…" Switching his gaze to Roxas, he inquired, "Why was it there?"

"I think Chance is leading me on a scavenger hunt…!" Roxas exclaimed, eyes bright. "This is the second clue!"

There was a certain knowing look to Zexion's face, but Roxas didn't notice. He as too engrossed with his task of taking the top off the egg and tossing the plastic bits on the counter. He unfolded the paper.

"_Good! You got the clue! Don't worry, there's only ten or so more._

"_Washing your clothes is fine, but when paper gets into the bubble mix…_"

"The laundry room!" he called out. He dashed off, only to pause by the stairway. He bolted up to his room and snatched a small bag, carrying it with him as he flew down the stairs.

For almost two more hours, Roxas dashed left and right, looking for more clues. Sometimes, they were in the apartment. Sometimes, they were on the porch. Sometimes, he had to dash down to a store or to the park to find the clue. Each one was exactly where Roxas deduced it would be. His excitement only grew as the search continued.

Finally, he was back in his own room, only to find a note taped to his mirror that hadn't been there before. He tore it off and looked down at it.

"_It should be about five now._" Roxas glanced at his watch. Eyes widening, he realized the note was right. It was five minutes past five. He looked back to the note.

"_A red-headed fox just placed this in your room. He's waiting for you in the parking lot. Once you find him, tell him the following sentence. 'Left, Right, Left, Into the Woods, Across the River. He will take you to your next note, which will be in a bottle at the bar._"

Confused, but feeling as though he was getting closer and closer to his 'final destination', Roxas bolted out of his room, grabbing a jacket before he left, and making sure the small bag was in his hands and intact. He was out the back door a few moments later, searching for a 'red-headed fox'. His eyes locked on his green-eyed, lanky friend, who was leaning against his car, a vibrant smile on his face. His eyes glittered with a knowledge that not even Roxas know.

"You're in on it, too?" Roxas asked himself, sighing. Chance was really out-doing himself…Without missing a beat, he bolted over to Axel and repeated, "Left, Right, Left, Into the Woods, Across the River."

Axel moved aside and walked to the other side of the car, opening the door for Roxas. The teen jumped in, finding a note on his seat. He picked it up.

"_Don't forget to tip the bar-tender!_" it read. Roxas snorted. How was he supposed to get into a bar? Still, he sat in silence, feeling that even if he tried to have a conversation with the red-head, it would be denied.

They took a left out of the parking lot. Axel drove on for quite some time before they took a right. Then, he drove further before taking a left. Further still they traveled. Roxas glanced down at his watch. It was almost five-thirty. He looked up. Suddenly, Axel took a sharp turn into a dirt path on the woods. Roxas leaned forward, staring out. A building appeared in the distance, growing larger as they came closer. It was a small motel called 'Across the River'. Roxas stared at it for quite some time, taking in the elegant structure of the small establishment. Axel parked right out front, staring at Roxas. Roxas looked back at Axel. The ginger nodded. Roxas jumped out of the car, then turned to watch his friend leave.

He looked down at the notes. He was at 'Across the River', so everything before that could be checked off. He skimmed over the remainder. A bottle behind the bar, tip the bar-tender…Roxas looked up at the sky, sighing. He hadn't realized it was so dark outside; the stars were beginning to glitter in the sky. "Where are you sending me, Chance?" he muttered to himself. Shaking his head with a small smile, he glanced over towards the motel.

There was a small martini bar up front, where a young brunette man served little cocktails to the guests. It was still rather early, so no one was too intoxicated yet. Still, Roxas approached the bar with caution. The bar-tender looked up, his emerald eyes lighting up as they met with Roxas's baby blue. The older man leaned over, smiling at Roxas, waiting for him to come over.

"A little young to be coming to the bar, aren't you?" he asked, eyes glittering with amusement, and a similar look to the one Axel and Zexion had had on their faces. Roxas smiled back, and pulled four dollars out of his pocket, placing them on the counter in front of him.

"I was told by a long trail of notes to tip the bar-tender here…" He slid the money over to the brunette. "Sorry, this is all I really have…"

The brunette selected a dollar out of the small bundle, smiling with the green paper between his fingers. "This'll do…" He turned around, browsed briefly through the wine collection, and selected a seemingly-empty one. He turned back to the blonde and handed it to him. Roxas looked down at it, realizing it was a message in a bottle. His eyes brightened further. Stuffing the rest of the money into his pants, he looked up at the older man and exclaimed, "Thanks!" He turned around and walked a little ways away from the bar, struggling to open the bottle. Finally, the cork came out, and the paper slid through the neck and onto his fingers. He unraveled it as quickly as he could and rapidly scanned his eyes over it.

"_This is the second to last clue! Good job getting this far!_

"_Ask the person at the front for key ten-seventeen. When he asks why, just tell him it's for the Scavenger Hunt._" Roxas leaned away slightly, frowning. Even the employees knew? Well, the bar-tender, but he seemed to be working at another establishment…He glanced at the last sentence.

"_Don't worry, they'll understand._" He pondered over whether or not to actually ask the employee. Everyone had helped him today, but it seemed embarrassing and childish to say such a thing in this quaint establishment. He ended up shrugging. _Nothing to really lose…_Putting his trust in Chance and his obscene hunt, he walked through the doors, into the main lobby.

It was a well-lit, brown-and-gold furnished room, with a Renaissance feel to it. There were long curtains made of silk trailing down from tall windows, high ceilings, and a large fireplace, with a bright, roaring fire blazing in it. Spotting the front desk to the left, the blonde trotted over, sighing.

"I need the key to room ten-seventeen…" he muttered. To his surprise, the black-haired employee looked rather enthusiastic. He still narrowed his silver eyes, though, slightly suspicious as though this were to be a prank.

"Why would you need that? Were you here another night and left something in your room?" he asked causally, typing on his computer. Roxas sighed, pulling out some of the paper from his over-stuffed pockets.

"I've been sent on a scavenger hunt, and have been looking around for the past two hours for my boyfriend…" he sighed, blushing slightly. The employee jumped up in mock surprise, clapping his hands together excitedly. His silver eyes captured Roxas's own.

"Oh, you must be Roxas!" He reached under the desk and pulled out a small card, numbered one, zero, one, and eight on it. "Here you are!" He winked as the blonde took the card from him. "You're awfully lucky…He even picked the two rooms specifically for this!"

Blushing slightly at the stranger's praise, Roxas turned around, looking at the card. He looked around for an elevator. _Nothing left to do but go there, I guess…_With a small, tired sigh, he walked to the elevator. It was a short trip up only three floors; it appeared the numbers of the rooms in the building had no rhyme or reason. He walked down the maze of hallways, getting lost several times until he finally found the room he was looking for. He slid the card in, waited for the green light, and opened the door. He kept it open till he spotted a light switch, and flicked the light on.

It was a nice room, but it was also empty. He looked around a bit, only to find a final note on the bureau. He lifted it up, looking down at the scrawl.

"_Last hint, I promise! Sorry this took so long, I needed the time…_" Needed the time? Confused, but brushing it off for now, he kept reading.

"_On the bottom floor, beyond the pool room, you'll find room twelve-twenty. Yeah, I don't know what's up with the numbers here either…_" Roxas let out a snort before continuing. "_The door will already be open. Hope you like what you find!_

"_Chance._" With a sigh of relief, knowing his hunt was almost over, he bolted to the door, flung it open, and dashed down the hallway. The elevator didn't move nearly fast enough, being paused at all but one floor to pick more people got on. A sigh of aggravation left his lips. How long was this going to take…?

Finally, the doors opened. Roxas slid over to the front desk, and dropped the key off, murmuring, "Thanks…" before dashing off to the pool room.

"Have a good time!" the employee called after him, waving his hands with black finger nails after the need. Roxas shook his head. He didn't even want to stop to ask what that meant. He'd find out on his own soon enough!

The hallway to the poolroom stretched on forever, until finally he found it. He looked at the dead end hallway, right then left. To his right was the poolroom, visible through the clear glass walls. To his right was a hallway with only three, spaced rooms. One of the doors in the hallway was partially open; the one in the middle. Tentatively, he walked to the room, and looked at the number. One, two, two, zero. It was the right room, alright. The door was partially open, something red dotting the floor…Roxas gulped nervously, feeling the fear creep up his spine. What did this mean? What was Chance doing? Why was the floor red…?

He opened the door a bit more, only to find brilliant blue spots on the floor too. He opened it all the way, sweeping the dots away. He realized they weren't dots. They were rose petals. The room was dark, but a friendly, warm glow came from inside the room. Slowly, entranced, Roxas placed one foot in front of the other, padding over the petals on the floor. The room was too dark to see any details as of now, but as Roxas traced the wall, he could feel the elegant patterns.

More lights were beginning to appear further in the room. Roxas turned the corner. He felt as though everything in his body stopped working at once.

An elegant, oak wood table sat in the middle of the room, covered in a white, lace tablecloth. Scented candles were lit all around the room, two tall ones illuminating the table. The smells were so mixed but in a clever manner that made Roxas slightly light-headed and giddy. The table had all sorts of cuisine on it. A small turkey, a bowl of lasagna, a bowl of Chex Mix, Sprite…Slowly, Roxas realized that all of his favorite foods lay out on the table. To the table's left was a large, white window, with a sliding door that was open, leading out to a star-lit patio with a beautiful view of the nearby pond.

And standing behind the table was the sender of the notes, carefully lighting the remaining candles with the match in his hand. He whipped around, almost catching his long hair on fire as he made eye-contact on his face. In the dim lights, Roxas could see his entire face flush ruby, embarrassed to be caught doing something like this.

"Oh…Hey Roxas…" he muttered nervously. "I…I'm not done setting up yet…"

Roxas strode over, looking around in wonder, still taking in the scenery. He stared into Chance's eye and breathed, "What is this?"

Chance smiled, waving the match in his hand out, and placing it on the ashtray by the candles. Padding over, he walked over to Roxas and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, pressing close to him. Still blushing, he rested his head against the blonde's, the spikes of his hair bending as they met with the multi-colored locks. His eyes never broke from Roxas's gaze.

"Happy one month anniversary, Roxas…" he breathed. Roxas let out a small gasp.

"You remembered…!" he squeaked, pulling Chance closer and resting his head on his shoulder. "Ten-eighteen…" He giggled lightly. "I should've known!" He opened his eyes slowly, remembering what else the employee had said. Pulling away slightly, he murmured, "Why did you pick this room? Was it the view or…?"

Chance blushed further, loosening his grip on Roxas. "Well, it did have the best view of the lake, but…" Ducking his head, he muttered, "December twentieth was the day I fell in love with you…"

Roxas let his jaw fall slightly, a pink tinge touching his cheeks. He felt his heart race faster, causing the electric course already running through his veins go even faster. Adjusting himself in Chance's grip, he leaned underneath Chance's head and caught his lips, pushing the boy's head up. He could sense the teen's surprise at the sudden show of affection. Roxas pulled away, batting his eyes at the wide-eyed boy in front of him.

"You're such a romantic…" he murmured. Chance stood, staring at Roxas, a smile slowly creeping across his face. He let out a small chuckle.

"Like I've said, I try…" He pulled away from Roxas's grip and strode over to the other side of the table. He slowly pulled out the chair, and then gestured towards the golden-haired boy to take a seat. "Dinner's served…Care to take a seat?"

Roxas gave a small bow, feeling his cheeks flush lightly at being pampered in such an elegant manner. "Of course…"

The two sat themselves at the dinner table, side by side, and immediately began to munch on the food in front of them. There was casual talk and the occasional giggle as one of them would share their food with the other.

"Oh, and I got you something, too…" Roxas muttered casually, after chewing and swallowing a bite of his chicken. Chance looked at him, surprised.

"Got me something too…?" he questioned. Roxas rolled his eyes, though he was clearly more amused than irritated.

"Well, obviously, this is my special gift, right?" Looking around, he blushed, adding, "Though it tops mine a hundred times over…"

Chance ducked his head, smiling sheepishly. "I-It's not too much, is it?"

Roxas leaned over and rested his head on Chance's shoulder, calming the boy. "Chance, it's perfect, and don't you dare think otherwise."

Chance slowly managed to raise his head, and smile with more confidence. The two were silent for a time. Roxas then lifted his head and reached under the table to the little bag in his hand. "Happy anniversary…" he murmured, handing the little silver bag to his boyfriend. Chance plucked it out of his hands with two fingers, gazing in wonder.

"You didn't have to do anything, dude!" Chance exclaimed, reaching in.

"Oh, it's nothing…Just cost three of my paychecks…" Roxas muttered, keeping the last statement a bare murmur just under his breath. Chance didn't make a comment on the amount Roxas had spent on him, too busy gasping at the two tickets in his hand.

"No way, IMPOSSIBLE!" he exclaimed, whipping around to Roxas. "These are IMPOSSIBLE to get! HOW?"

Roxas grimaced slightly, thinking of all of the favors he had to do, and the phone calls, negotiations…"A lot of effort, questioning the end worth, and a bit of bribery…" he muttered guiltily. Chance looked back at the slips of paper, eye bulging.

"But the Eastern Tigers against the Polar Hornets in the SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP game?" he squeaked, eyes bright. His head turned back to the tickets. His lips quivered upwards into a smile, letting out a small, disbelieving laugh. "What row?"

"It says so on the ticket…" Roxas pointed out, indicating the number with his pointer finger.

"I'm too excited to read it!" Chance breathed, looking as though he might faint. Roxas let out a small snort of merriment.

"They're right behind the Tiger's sideline…" he muttered, trying to make it as casual sounding as possible, when he could barely stand to wait for Chance's reaction.

The black-haired teen froze, mouth gaping wide. Roxas hunched his shoulders up and leaned a little closer, wondering what the teen's reaction could be. He stared into the single mocha sphere, observing the thought process in the boy's mind and determining a reaction. Before the blonde could even get a hint as to what the teen would do, Chance was already whipping around with such speed, Roxas had to lean away to avoid getting his hand jabbed out by his disorderly hair. He barely had time to recover when Chance grabbed his jaw and leaned in to a fiercely adoring kiss. Roxas felt his face heat up; Chance usually didn't react like this to good news. This fact didn't make his stomach calm any sooner, though. The teen pulled away and stared back down at the tickets, letting out a little yip of glee.

"You're the BEST, dude, EVER!" he exclaimed, eye so vivacious, Roxas wouldn't have been surprised if it leapt out of Chance's head and tap danced. Breaking from his previously trance-like stare, he looked back at the teen, smiling emotionally.

"I thought you'd like it…" he murmured.

"I LOVE it, Roxas…" Chance leaned over and placed his head on Roxas's shoulder. "I love it even more knowing that you're going with me…" he murmured, a blush barely touching his face. Roxas felt his heart swell. Compared to everything that Chance had gotten him…Just his willingness to let loose and feel comfortable was the best anniversary gift he could get from the boy. He leaned his head over and gave him a small peck, mouthful of hair, but without a care. He then rested his head against Chance's, their heartbeats the same rate, beating as one. _I love you…_

He frowned slightly, though he was careful not to alert Chance. One whole month…_Can I say it? _Chance obviously cared about him as much as he claimed; no one would go through that much trouble to throw an anniversary dinner if they only had an everyday crush on the other person. So, what was holding Roxas back? Why was it still a frightening concept? Three words! They could save Chance! Why?

_It's because of them…_

A small twinge of regret washed over him as he ruefully thought of Treep and Namine. Roxas still had feelings for Namine, and the extent of them, he wasn't sure. Did he really want to move a relationship forward when he was so uncertain of his own feelings? And same went for Chance with Treep. The two hadn't even spoken ever since the day Chance had first reunited with his heart, and as far as Roxas knew, he might still love the teen, even more…Even more than he loved Roxas. He winced inwardly as the thought crossed his mind.

They both needed more time. There still was a risk that his love might make matters worse. He wanted to be one hundred certain of both of their feelings before he allowed himself to say those words. He knew he was in love with Chance, and was almost certain that Namine was still only a small crush that was sure to fade. As soon as he got the indication that his feelings for Treep were slipping, he'd say it. Two more months, maybe…He had no idea how to measure the time.

Besides, so long as he knew, and Chance knew he loved Roxas…Wasn't that enough? Couldn't a relationship survive on that…?

He buried his head in Chance's hair, feeling more like a couple than he had ever before. _I don't really think that's a good reason to wait…But I'm still not sure if it's right to say it. _If he wasn't ready, why force it? If Chance loved him this much, they were going to remain together for a while.

Dinner passed by without any other instance, although Roxas noted that his looks of love were nearly matched by Chance's, to his delight. Then Chance took his hand and led him out onto the patio. The stars shimmered in the sky, the water rippling around their reflections. The trees swayed almost silently in the slight breeze, making the move in enchanting, dreamy motions, giving the all-around atmosphere even more mythical. Roxas lifted Chance's arms, wrapped them around himself, and snuggled close into his chest, eyes emotional. "It's just so gorgeous out here…" he murmured.

"And you wonder why I love the night sky so much," Chance murmured, staring up at the stars. Roxas didn't reply. He simply contented himself with taking in Chance's scent, feeling himself go light-headed as it completely filled his nostrils. He sighed, fully content.

"If only I had the words to say it…" he breathed, too low for Chance's ears to pick up. He rested his head against Chance's torso. The lapping of the waves on the shore was slowly lulling him. If he were ever to imagine Heaven, he was sure that this would pretty much sum the entire thing up.

"I don't think there's anything that would make me happier…" he murmured, half asleep. Chance's arms gripped tighter around him in agreement, resting his chin in Roxas's mass of swirls. The silence remained for long enough for the moon to travel a few feet across the sky.

Suddenly, without warning, Roxas was hoisted into the air and found himself lying bridal style in Chance's arms, the older teen smiling with elation. He leaned in and gave the teen an Eskimo kiss. Roxas snickered, pressing his forehead against Chance.

"And this is for?" he asked. Chance carried him back inside, to the other side of the candle-lit room.

"You looked tired…" Chance explained, striding over to the bed as though Roxas weighed nothing in his arms. "I didn't want you falling down or collapsing on the ground…!"

Roxas snorted. "I'm not tired…" he murmured, stifling a yawn. Chance smirked down at him, his mocha eye disbelieving.

"Sure, and I just won the Nobel Prize…" he teased. He laid Roxas on the bed, then trotted over to the other wide, sliding off his shoes before lying on his side. Roxas kicked his shoes off and faced Chance, the two making overly-caring faces at one another. Roxas leaned in and gave Chance a small kiss on the lips. When he leaned away, Chance leaned in and gave him a kiss back. This repeated several times. On the sixth kiss, Chance remained where he was, his mouth craving more of Roxas. He deepened the kiss further, inching closer. Roxas placed his hand beside Chance's jaw, tilting it ever-so-slightly more into the kiss. Whatever exhaustion he had possessed before seemed to have vanished. The two slowly erased the space between then, wrapping themselves around each other, their lip contacts becoming more and more demanding, They both sat up, their forms wrapped around one another.

Chance found himself opening his mouth, letting out a small, begging groan. Roxas pried his mouth opening, letting out a small moan as Chance began to explore his mouth with his tongue, rolling it around Roxas's own tongue. He slowly fell back onto the bed, Chance crawling on top of him. The teen kept his body well above Roxas's, the only thing touching the teen was his lips to Roxas's. Roxas kept groaning underneath him, his lips practically gripping onto Chance's, pleading for more. He shoved Chance's tongue aside and began to dig deep into Chance's mouth, probing places that he hadn't before.

Suddenly, without warning, Roxas let out a louder moan, and pressed his entire form against Chance, brushing up against him, Chance opened his eyes into slits, startled. It was getting out of hand…Roxas wrapped his arms around the teens neck, sucking on Chance's lips. He slowly rolled Chance over and was on top of him, pressing down on him in an uncomfortable manner. Digging his knees into Chance's side, Roxas ran his hands across the paler jaw, his breathes quickening. Chance began to struggle underneath him. He could resist the few urges he had. Roxas, younger, and less acquainted with these feelings, seemed to be less lucky.

He managed to lean back enough to gasp out, "Roxas…!" Roxas ignored him, pressing his lips back onto Chance's, his hands wrapping up in Chance's hair. His body was starting to rub against Chance's. Chance lifted his leg, twitching it in protest. He let out muffled moans, trying to let Roxas know he was going too far. He gave the boy a small nudge with his head, getting away from him. Roxas opened his eyes into slits, a light Chance had never seen before lighting up in his eyes.

"Roxas, please…" Chance muttered, barely managing to finish his sentence before Roxas dipped back in, giving him another kiss. He moved his lips to Chance's jaw, kissing along his neck. Chance let out a small groan, feeling himself tense uneasily as Roxas's lips fluttered against his bare skin.

"Roxas, stop…" he muttered, closing his eyes. "Roxas, Roxas, PLEASE…" he managed, gripping onto the boy's shoulders and lifting him slightly. Roxas opened his eyes again, expressing his disappointment. His expression slowly melted into one of embarrassment, a deep red coloring his face.

"S-Sorry…I don't know…" Roxas muttered, sitting up and jumping off of Chance, lying on the other side of the bed. Chance reached over and placed a hesitant hand on Roxas's shoulder.

"It's not your fault…" he muttered. "You can't…Always stop yourself…"

Roxas whipped around, looking Chance in the eye, frightened. "I-I don't want that at all, I swear…! I don't even THINK about it…!" he squeaked. Chance smiled gently at the teen, eyes glittering in care.

"Roxas, I know…It's okay…" Chance murmured. The blonde sighed heavily, not looking Chance in the eye. Chance scooted closer, smiling encouragingly at the boy.

"Hey, being a teenager sucks…We don't know how we feel half the time, we have our weak moments…It just stinks…" He leaned in, his face close to Roxas's. "Things happen, and they can be forgiven and forgotten…"

Roxas stared into Chance's eyes, the red on his face slowly fading. He smirked slightly. "That's unusually deep for you to say…" Chance chuckled, closing his eyes.

"Just trying to help…" he murmured. Roxas's eyes were drooping, looking tired. "How's about we take a chill for about two hours, then head home…"

"How long do you have the room…?" Roxas murmured, trying not to nod off in midsentence. Chance smiled sweetly at him, eyes half-closing in adoration. _He gets so tired so easily._

"Well, their next reservations' not till tomorrow, but they'd rather have us out by nine tonight…" He sat up and got off the bed, walking around the room and blowing the candles out. He closed the patio door, and turned on a light in the bathroom; he knew Roxas didn't like sleeping in complete darkness. He then walked back to the bed slipping under the covers on the left side. Roxas sluggishly began to do the same, only to pause before he slipped his right leg in after his left leg. He looked over at Chance, eyes wide.

"Aren't you going to your bed?" he asked. Chance, confused, cocked his head to the side.

"Roxas, this is a single bed suite. I thought you saw that when you came in, dude…" he muttered, curling up under the covers. Roxas's eyes widened further, despite his tiredness. A smile stretched across his face.

"We never share a bed…!" he commented, trying to hide his excitement. Chance smiled, scooting over as Roxas managed himself in, curling close to Chance. Any of the confused feelings he had felt barely five minutes ago seemed to have vanished. Snuggling into his body, he sighed, already reaching for dreamland.

"You're an awesome pillow person…" he breathed, eyes closed. Chance smiled, leaning his head against the pillow. He ignored the little jabbing thought in the back of his mind claiming he should feel uncomfortable, and should wonder more about Roxas's feelings. For tonight, it didn't matter if Roxas barely had a crush on him. Tonight, Roxas really liked him, caring about him more than Chance fathomed upon a first glance. For now, his heart was trying so hard to beat again, still skipping back into a stop before it began, but it was almost there.

_Roxas, on your own time, you can choose whether you want to fall in love with me or not…_Chance pecked the boy on the forehead. _For now, at least, having you here in my arms is enough…_

"I love you, Roxas…" he muttered, pressing his head deeper into his pillow.

He missed Roxas's reply, which was so quiet and jumbled; it was lost in the small noises of the evening.

"Iloveyoutoo…Illsayitoneday…"

And that was his biggest mistake.

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BUT THEN WHO WAS PHONE? *shot*  
>Sorry, sorry, I'm over-tired. This happens.<p>

But, what was his biggest mistake? When will we find out? D:

Soon? :D YES.

Oooooooooh, Roxas, sexy make-out times ye crave? *raises eyebrow*

~Cat's Eye


	12. Too Early

Holy mother of god.

DIS CHAPTER.

My life story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance and Treep. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 12: Too Early**

Turning his dial once more, he pushed the small tab up, and pulled the locker open. Bored, he lifted his textbook up with ease and placed in his locker, selecting another one out, holding it by the spine. A fit of nearby giggles distracted him, causing him to flick both his eyes to the side, caught off-guard. He reached over, closed his locker, and turned around. The sight he took in might've made him sick if had been any other couple.

Chance currently had his arms gripped around Roxas's waist, lifting him slightly in the air, a brilliant smile on his face. Roxas let out laughs, a huge, opened-mouthed grin on his face. Chance put him down, Roxas turning around to wrap his arms around the older boy's neck, pressing his nose against Chance's, the two beaming at each other. The two lovebirds were rarely apart anymore; Roxas seemed to finally have admitted that he loved Chance, everyone assumed.

He smiled, feeling the hole in his chest fill up a little. In a little over a month, the two had grown close enough to run up to each other in the hallways and hold each other close, despite who was watching. They were still easing themselves, and public display of affection any further than that was rare, but Chance had never seemed more comfortable than he did now. He felt a weak spark in his chest light up, glad that the boy finally found someone to help him forget about the anguishes of his life.

He paused, putting a hand against his locker, staring at the caramel color, still hearing the couple in the background faintly. He reminisced over the bittersweet memories; of catching fireflies past their bedtimes, of chatting together on the playground, of games of tag, of holding hands…cold shoulders, the heartaches he could sense, and all the bad stuff, too, but for now, he remembered the happier days, days where, had things not turned out the way they did, a beautiful friendship was just waiting to build up.

He wasn't a very good person. He was one of the worst people he knew. But, if there was one decent quality about him, it was that he missed those moments.

He looked back at Chance, his smile widening slightly more. His two-colored eyes half-closed warmly, rare for his usual cold and irritated stature. _Maybe we can start all over again?_ He put the book in his back and slung it over his broad shoulders. _I always hoped we could try again…_

The popular boy was the quintessence of a friend. He was everything you could want and more, once you looked passed his previous flaws. He might've been more eager to start a friendship, had the disastrous memories of what could almost be considered a love affair not been holding him back.

He turned away and began walking down the hallways. Roxas and Chance exchanged goodbyes, and went their separate ways, joyous expressions on their faces. He began walking to his own class, which, coincidentally, was located down the hallway Chance was standing in. _Just a friendly 'Hello'…_

It was too soon at the wrong time.

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"I'll see you later, Chencha…" Roxas murmured, staring up in adoration into Chance's eye. The teen returned his look with equal enthusiasm.

"See ya, Roxy…" he replied. Roxas slipped his arms reluctantly away from Chance and turned around, heading for biology. Chance sighed, staring after him. His heart almost managed a beat. His feelings from their anniversary hadn't wavered at all. For all he cared, Roxas could take years to fall for him, and he could patiently wait it out. Though, and he wouldn't admit it to himself, he knew those three magical words would finally make his heart beat again. If only Roxas shared his feelings, he'd find himself thinking from time to time. He kept telling himself that he just had to see Roxas one more time, but his desire to hear those words made it harder and harder to believe.

Still, he was content, and could be content forever. Maybe he'd never hear those three words. Maybe Roxas would never come to care about him that way. Chance wouldn't force him. So long as Roxas still wanted to stay together, Chance would eagerly follow the boy. And, for the moment, he was perfectly okay with such a relationship. It was enough to block the burning, bittersweet memories of his past, and that was enough. He turned around, looking down the hallway to get to algebra, the same grin on his face. _Life's pretty good…_

He noticed someone walking in the opposite direction as him, coming close to passing him. How could he not notice? It was just a habit he had; one that he knew was going to take longer to break. Still, he kept his eyes trained forward, ignoring the twinge in his heart. That was the past. He cared about Roxas now. Roxas was his world now. Treep wasn't nothing to him, but he certainly wasn't what he was three years ago. Maybe they could be friends again; Chance would immensely enjoy another chance to get to know the unreadable boy. But for the time being, his gaze avoided Treep's, and Treep's gaze avoided his.

It was the only way for now. He had to keep himself from seeing him. He couldn't risk it so early on. Usually, they'd pass without incident, not making eye contact, nor skin contact.

But this time, the eyes turned to him.

They hadn't done that in a long time. The sudden motion snapped the black-haired teen out of his routine. Chance's gaze was immediately brought to the tan-skinned boy's body, a small expression of surprise on his face as Treep's eyes and his own met. The boy was definitely looking right at him, and was walking, rather on the other side of the hall, pretty close to where he was.

A warm smile.

A simple greeting.

"Hey, Chance…" the taller boy murmured, waving a hand at Chance. Chance stared at the teen, his chest tightening. _Oh God…_He felt his enthusiasm and his heart drop to the floor, shattering again.

Roxas was forgotten. He suddenly remembered exactly why he had fallen in love with Treep. Treep was unpredictable, he was beautiful, he was everything Chance wanted to be…He had no flaws to Chance, nothing was wrong with Treep. Despite all he ever did to Chance, despite all he had ever said, despite him being one of the banes of Chance's existence…

Everything just came crashing down, forcing his feet to a stop. Treep's smile wavered, observing Chance's odd reaction, and he frowned, shifting his backpack, and quickening his pace stiffly, staring forward with an unreadable expression on his face. As he passed by, their shirts brushed ever so slightly, causing Chance's inner demons to jump up again. The urge to bolt over and press himself close, if only for a second, was nearly uncontrollable.

The teen remained rooted to the ground, caught in a trance. The students passing him gave him weird looks, but didn't pause in their haste to get to class. He didn't notice this. He wasn't aware that the bell had rang, either. He didn't even register picking up his feet again, or his walk to the bathroom. He just managed to come back to reality as he opened the door, to find the room empty. Good. He took a look at himself in the mirror.

It was exactly what he was afraid of.

His eye was wide with horror, his skin paler than usual. He could see himself trembling, and saw his lips quivering in what was close to a sob. He looked exactly like he had when Treep had first broken his heart. Memories crashed over him. Of sleepovers, of nights spent together, of holding hands, of his heart breaking, of nights he hadn't been able to fall asleep, of slitting his wrists. He could still vividly remember the texture of Treep's lips from their one accidental kiss. He felt as though the scar on his back was torn open again, dripping slowly down his back. His heart was dead again. Yet it still held the care he had felt for the tan-skinned boy.

How could he have felt like he could've left all this behind? He had been so in love with Treep. Treep had meant everything to him. He had never done anything for the longest time without wondering whether he would be pleasing the boy or not. Even back in the Organization, his care for Roxas was nothing compared to his memories of his feelings for Treep. And, to his utter disgust, Roxas still stood no chance against Treep.

He could bury it as deep as he wanted. He could leave Treep behind. Without seeing the boy at all, he could lead himself into a false sense of security, and truly believe that his heart wasn't divided unequally. He could tell himself as many times as he wanted to that his world revolved around Roxas. But it wouldn't take much to have the memories of his feelings for Treep to fester back up again. And beliefs only stretch so far.

A tear ran down his cheek, accompanied by a broken sob. "I'm sorry…" he moaned. "I'm sorry, Roxas…" He leaned on the sink, coughing and sniveling as the tears ran down his face. "I-I tried to forget him…" The scene kept replaying over and over in his head, of his beautiful face, of his breath-taking eyes, of his scruffy hair, of his broad shoulder, of the friendliness written out on his face, so different from the cold-shouldered looks he was used to…His heart swelled, broke, swelled, broke, it couldn't decide.

The conflicting emotions were becoming unbearable. He felt his legs caving beneath him. Soon, he was kneeling on the floor, his head in his hands, tears causing them to get damper and damper. Eventually, his heart settled for the heartbreak and agony. The pain washed over him again, and this time, Roxas wasn't there to comfort him. And even if he was, his presence would only hurt more, to know he had doubts on who he truly loved. Because now, there was another person in this internal battle.

Why did it hurt so much for Treep to say 'Hello' to him? Why was the simple act of him trying to make friends still painful? Why was he letting himself get bothered over this? It was so obvious, it hurt. He had thought it so many times. But, for some reason, he had to let them escape from his mouth.

"I'm still in love with him…" he groaned, feeling sick. "And I can't help but want him to love me back…" Dejected, he coughed, the bile in his throat almost rising into his mouth. He gulped it down, trying not to choke on his sobs. All he wished for was for someone to come down and help him in this miserable time, even though no one even knew where he was. "Roxas, where are you…?" he whispered, knowing that no answer would come. He could run to Roxas later. That was always true. But he needed him now.

No, he couldn't even run to him later. How was he supposed to explain this…?

"Why am I alone…?" he muttered, eyes wide with delusion. "Why couldn't he be the one…?" He gripped his chest and groaned, "I'M SORRY ROXAS…!" in a louder tone. He fell to the floor, lying down on the disgusting tiles, the smell indicating they hadn't been washed in a solid month. "I can't…I can't…I can't…"

When Treep avoided him, when he had been able to forget about Treep, when he only focused on Roxas, he could fake himself into believing that his loyalties were in one and only one place. He had tricked himself into believing that Roxas would make him better.

But just a smile had reminded him that he had always wished that Treep would be the one to make the pain go away. That Treep would take him back, hold Chance close in his arms, and promise to never leave him. Chance WANTED those three words from Treep more than he wanted them from anyone else, even Roxas. All it took was a smile to remind him that his loyalties were split, that one side had more of his demolished heart than the other. The old wounds were reopening, and he wanted nothing more than to bring a blade to his wrists, if only to ease the old agony in his chest. He wanted to die. He wanted to die. He wanted to die, he wanted to die, he felt like dying…

But he couldn't do that. He had made a promise to Roxas. Even if his pain drove him insane, he was still in a relationship with the boy. You don't break promises with the people you love. And he didn't want to leave Roxas. He cared about Roxas, his old feelings for Treep festering up again or not. Just the thought of breaking it up with the blonde made him wince.

Even so.

"I'm sorry, Roxas, I'm sorry, Treep, I'm sorry, Roxas, I'm sorry, Treep…" he chanted, rocking back and forth on the floor. Apologizing for not staying true. Apologizing for not listening to orders. Apologizing for existing in the first place. "I love you Roxas…I really do…But…" He hiccupped, squinting his eyes shut. "Treep has always been there…" Always there, in the back of his head, so far back that Chance had thought he could push it away forever. But he was a fool. In the back of his mind, the nagging thought he usually pushed aside came up, reminding him of why it hurt so much, and why he should be doubting, not just Roxas, but himself. Why did it hurt so much? Why couldn't he just be in love with Roxas? Why couldn't he leave Treep behind? He just wanted to…He just wanted…

He wanted someone to tell them that they truly loved him, and him alone. More than anything.

Couldn't he have that?

Apparently not. Love isn't granted to those who can't choose a side.

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Eyes bright, he trotted down the hallway, recognizing the strange hair-patterns on his boyfriend's head anywhere. He wrapped his arms around the teen without a greeting, simply exclaiming, "Chance!" to announce his arrival. He closed his eyes, pressing his cheek close to the boy's shoulder with adoration.

The boy whipped around, skitterish, sucking in a breath. Roxas opened his eyes, frowning. Something seemed wrong…He looked up at Chance. His eye looked a little puffy, he looked pale, and he seemed nervous to be held by Roxas.

"Chance? Everything okay…?" he asked, lifting a hand to Chance's forehead. "You're not sick, are you?" The older teen didn't shy away, but he didn't exactly seem pleased to find Roxas's hand on his head. He smiled nervously, his lips causing it to waver every-so-often.

"I-I felt a little sick, so I skipped class and went to the nurse's office…dude…" The traditional 'dude' at the end of his sentence seemed almost forced, as though he were trying to feign that he felt better. He lifted the pink slip in his hands, which said 'Nurse's Pass'. It looked like he had gone to the nurse's office. But Roxas wasn't so sure on whether Chance was telling him the truth. The guilt radiating off his body told Roxas that Chance hadn't just been feeling sick. Still, he didn't ask; if Chance wanted to talk about it, he would. Deciding to tone the public display of affections down a bit, he released Chance, and took a hold of his hand. He proceeded to walk towards the school's exit, rubbing his thumb around Chance's hand in a soothing manner. The teen sighed, relaxing slightly. At least Roxas could still comfort him somewhat, and the small contact made his heart flutter lightly.

"Are you upset about something?" Roxas ventured, trying to get information to know how to cheer the teen up. The tension returned. Chance's eyes flew open, then half-closed, as though forced to. He smiled to Roxas, his poker face painfully transparent.

"E-Everything's fine…I just need to get home and rest…" he murmured. "Zexion's getting me a ride…" There was a pause, Roxas trying to read the teen's confusing face, Chance thinking about whatever was on his mind. After a few minutes, the hiatus was broken.

"Alright…Maybe I can come in with you tonight?" Roxas offered, smiling sweetly. Maybe Chance just needed to lie down and cuddle for a bit in privacy; sometimes, that's all that it took to get him out of his moods. Besides, if he was sick, he'd need someone to look after him. "I could get you what you need to make your sickness go away…" He was already running over what Chance would need if he really did have a fever; a cool, damp towel, a thermometer, perhaps some pain killers and other medicines…

The old light began to reappear in Chance's eye, and he returned Roxas's smile. They were almost outside the school by now, Roxas's anxieties about Chance starting to fade. However, just before they could, Chance froze, frowning. They stood just outside the building, a little ways away from the rushing crowd of students. Chance's eyes seemed distant, as though he were lost in a memory. Weakly smiling, he shook his head, a light of sadness on his face.

"I…I don't think that's a good idea tonight…" he murmured, in an old, too-familiar defeated tone. Roxas's eyes widened.

Chance slid his hand out of Roxas's and left the blonde standing there, stalking off in another direction. Roxas felt a small ache fester in his chest. He lifted a hand to his heart, almost close to tears. Chance had never said 'No' to him like that before. He had never walked away for the day without a goodbye. He hadn't looked that sad since…No, not that. That wasn't it. It couldn't be. Chance was just in a little funk, right? He just needed time to calm down…Besides, maybe he just didn't want Roxas to catch his fever…But wouldn't he have told him?

He shook his head, staring after where Chance had gone, missing him already. _What's wrong, Chance? And why won't you tell me…?_

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He grit his teeth, watching the teenager leave his significant other hanging dry, sensing the old anguish on his soul, not yet built up to its full potential, but it was there, which was enough to cause him to worry. It was going to happen again. The steady decline. First, he would start distancing himself, then he would break his ties with Roxas, and…He didn't even want to think about after that yet.

_Shit…Too soon…_He paced for a few moments like a caged animal. A snarl built up in his chest. He didn't try to make friends very often, and Chance had always been willing to be his friends. So, why was he acting out? _What was wrong? He has Roxas! The two are fucking in love with each other! He shouldn't still feel for me if he's got that son of a bitch!_

He froze. It occurred to him.

No one had even bothered to ask Roxas if he had. They had found it safe to assume.

Maybe Chance, the clueless idiot he was, still wasn't getting the big picture. Maybe he didn't know. Maybe Roxas was still hesitating.

Maybe Chance had no idea that Roxas was in love with him. That was it, wasn't it? Chance couldn't be ready to let the past go until he had that. Chance desperately needed that. Healing his heart would be useless if it wasn't done by someone who truly loved him, and of that he was aware of. Without it, starting a new friendship with him was impossible. Without it, Chance would remain where he was forever, running in circles from the truth. Without it, the smallest trigger could set him off if Roxas wasn't there.

Chance didn't know…And because of that, Treep may have just caused another breakdown for the boy.

_God dammit, is it just my destiny to ruin EVERY SINGLE FUCKING CHANCE AT HAPPINESS THAT GOD-DAMN KID GETS? _He whirled around and slammed his fist into the nearest locker, causing it to crack and cave under pressure with a loud bang. Pulling his first away, the door struggled on its hinge, still held in place by the lock, but so dented and damaged it would never be used again. He stormed off, fuming with rage built from his anguish. He bit his tongue to keep himself from screaming.

_I just screw up every time I try to talk to him…_

_ Maybe we just never were meant to be friends…_He grit his teeth further, hunching his shoulders. He had to slide his tongue away, or he would've bitten holes through it. Chance was one of the nicest, friendliest people he knew. He WANTED to be Chance's friend. He wanted them to go out all night and come back at one in the morning, barely conscious enough to put their night clothes on. He had always wanted to be Chance's friend, even when he was forced to break the boy's heart. A friend on the same level of Darren and Rose, an irreplaceable friend…

But that was the problem.

He had never wanted anything more.

_Roxas, you idiot, if you don't tell him soon…_

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Just saying. It's preeeeeeeeetty true, sadly.

HOW ROXAS GOING TO FIX THIS?

~Cat's Eye


	13. Desperate

Aaaaaaaaand.

Oh my god my eyes are so tired. X_X  
>Too much internet.<p>

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 13: Desperate**

"So then, then I say to him…Then I say, 'IT'S OVER THERE!' and pointed right in front of his face to where the mayonnaise was!" Roxas exclaimed, laughing at the end of his sentence. He looked over at his other, awaiting his reaction. He realized that Chance wasn't even looking at him, and probably hadn't been for the duration of the story. His neck craned around, looking in a totally different direction.

"Hmm? Chance?" he asked, tapping the boy on the shoulder. The teen jumped guiltily back into reality, facing front again. He let out a tired sigh and turned to Roxas, a concealed light of shame in the back of his eyes.

"S-Sorry, I've been a little…little tired…" he muttered. His eye flicked back to the cafeteria door, then back to Roxas. An awkward tension swelled between them. Without waiting for another word from Roxas, he turned back to his lunch, picking up his turkey sandwich and taking an uninterested bite, if only to avoid talking to the blonde. To Roxas, it seemed like he was struggling to swallow, either because his throat was too constricted to, or as if the food had lost its taste.

Roxas, confused, looked up and out the cafeteria. He was just in time to see a black-clothed, tan skin arm disappear through the doorway. He didn't need an explanation from Chance to understand who it was.

He sighed, feeling the small ache build up in his chest again. He had no idea what Treep had done, or if he had done anything at all. But, ever since yesterday, Chance had gone back to staring after him, dodging his gaze away when Treep tried to look at him, and hardly able to pay attention to anyone when the boy with the two-colored eyes was in the vicinity.

The freshman had always known that, in this relationship, they were going to have speed bumps, especially because Chance had obviously not fallen out of love with Treep just yet. He had known all along that Treep could choose to act up like this at any moment. Roxas could only hope that it was only temporary…

He put a hand on Chance's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I wish you'd tell me what was wrong…" he murmured, even though he had his guesses. Chance paused from eating his sandwich, eyes gazing up and out the window. "I don't need to know exactly what happened…" Roxas continued, shaking his head. "But you know I'm here for you…"

Chance shivered, leaning over towards Roxas slightly. Roxas leaned the rest of the way in, pressing himself against Chance. His heart beat steadily, trying to calm whatever it was that was causing the mocha-eyed teen to be so perturbed. "I'm sorry I'm making you worry…" Chance muttered. He pressed his head against Roxas's, his muscles relaxing. Chance let out a small breath. "It's just a little confusing right now…"

Roxas opened his eyes, gazing down at the table. "It's fine, Chance. I knew that, if I was going to be with you, I'd have to deal with this for a while…" He nuzzled closer into the crick of Chance's neck, relieved to sense the boy's body loosen. "And you know I'm here any time you need me…" He took a deep breath, letting the boy's scent tickle his nostrils.

For a split second, Chance's body went rigid again, but the attack passed so quickly that Roxas was sure he imagined it. Chance pulled away, his eye glittering with care. "I know you are…" Anything else he was feeling was lost for a moment, as the love Chance felt for Roxas reflected in his eyes.

Roxas leaned in and gave Chance a small kiss on the cheek, hoping he conveyed what he was trying to through the simple action. Pulling away, he grinned. "You don't need to tell me if it's that hard to talk about, but anytime you need to talk, I'm a text message away…" He paused, then finished, "Even during class hours."

Chance gave Roxas's hand, still on his own, a small squeeze. "I know."

Roxas tried to hide his own uncertainties. Despite his words, he wondered if Chance actually felt like he could run to Roxas. He used to have confidence that Chance would run to him if he needed a shoulder to cry on, or to just talk about one thing or another. Now, he wasn't so certain Chance actually knew he could. As Chance went back to his lunch, tranquil for a few moments, Roxas turned his head to the doorway the object of Chance's anxieties went through. His eyes narrowed. "Hey, Chance, I'll be back in a moment…" he muttered. Chance nodded, though looking a little confused at the irritated look on Roxas's face. The blonde stood up and trotted down the hall.

He knew Treep had this lunch. He had tried to remember when they shared a lunch with Treep, to be sure that he wasn't far from Chance, or that Chance had Zexion or someone else with him. He ran over the list of where Treep could be. He was just about to head to the east wing staircase—one of the favored places for couples to make out in a semi-private area without appearing suspicious—when he saw the teen standing at his locker, sighing in what could almost pass for sadness. Roxas tried to keep himself calm as he walked over. He had rarely approached the boy, let alone spoken to him, and his over-all stature, plus his height and build, made him particularly intimidating. Still, if he knew what was wrong, maybe Roxas could get the answers out of him.

"Did you say something to Chance?" he managed, as he finally stopped beside Treep. The freshman looked down at Roxas, eyes midevening in surprise. His gray pupil unnerved Roxas slightly, who wasn't used to seeing the kid's blind eye. It was still rather expressive, to the point where Roxas almost believed that Treep actually COULD see out of it. But he held his gaze, determination in his own.

Treep frowned, snorting at Roxas. He put his book in his locker and shut it, turning rudely around and walking off. "None of your god-damn business, Blondie…"

Roxas gaped after him for a moment, before trotting to catch up to him. "Hey, it's COMPLETELY my business!" He gestured back to the cafeteria, exasperated. "In case you haven't noticed, he's my BOYFRIEND."

"Well, whoopde-fucking-do for you two…" the other muttered, an irritated hint in his voice. But his general attitude was causing Roxas's own temper to rise. Suddenly, the teen seemed to shrink and loose a portion of his intimidating nature.

"Look, I don't know what happened, but you seem to be at the bottom of whatever's bothering him!" Roxas muttered, eyes flaring.

"Guess I am," Treep muttered, uncaring. Roxas grit his teeth, feeling his agitation rise.

"Look, even if you don't give a damn about him—"

"I don't…" Roxas almost let out an exasperated hiss at this. How could anyone say that about Chance? How could Treep live with himself?

"You could at least tell me what the hell you did!" he exclaimed, almost in a snap.

"Who's to say I did something?" There was an irritated snarl waiting in his voice, for when he finally lost his temper. But Roxas still pressed on, keeping Chance his top priority.

"I don't know if you did or not! I just know Chance is acting up and I'm trying to find out why!"

"Whatever. I told the fag to keep away from me…" Treep growled. Roxas's full body tensed, livid with rage. That was one step too far. Before he could even think about what he was doing, he was hurling himself against the teen, slamming him against the wall with whatever might his smaller body had to offer. Taken off-guard, the older teen fell back in surprise, body going limp in Roxas's fists. He opened his eyes, staring down at the freshmen, eyes wide.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!" Roxas snapped acidly. "Look, I don't give a damn about you, I don't care what he felt about you, but what I do care is that you're the bastard that broke his heart, and I wanna know what you did NOW."

Treep stared down at the smaller boy for a few moments. Then, he closed his eyes, chuckling. "What's so funny…?" Roxas hissed.

"Look, you asshole, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you're in no position to push me around…" Treep opened his eyes, narrowing them at Roxas with an animal-like fury. The grin stayed on his face, though it was anything but friendly. Roxas's grip loosened, confidence draining. "I don't take orders from anyone…"

"Look, I just want to know what you did to Chance, then you can go make out with whatever whore you're dating now…" Roxas growled, determined not to let his fear show. He was well aware of the fact that the boy he was currently pinning to a locker could, at any moment, lunge out and snap his arm in half before he could even blink. But he was adamant about getting the information he needed. He HAD to be there for Chance.

Treep frowned, glaring at Roxas. The two didn't move for a few moments. Then, Treep smirked.

"Wow. Picking fights now, aren't we? Especially with me…" he jeered. Roxas grit his teeth together, preparing a comeback to snap back. Before he could come up with anything, however, Treep finished his sentence.

"You must really care about him."

Roxas leaned away, eyes widening. Treep gave Roxas a small shove, causing the boy to stumble off of him and into a small group of girls. He ignored their shrieks and shrills of protests and kept his eyes on Treep. The older boy lumbered over, looking down at him with an unreadable expression.

"Be sure he GETS it…" he threatened. "That kid's a wreck. It'll take more than super glue to fix what I've done to him…" He began walking off, then paused, turning around and adding, "By the way, I swear, all I said was a fucking 'Hello' to the guy…" He stalked off, disappearing around the corner. Roxas stayed where he was, unable to move his feet.

Be sure he gets it? All he said was 'Hello'? Why did Roxas feel like he couldn't trust the teen? Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes. What was he expecting? This was TREEP. The kid who shattered Chance's heart. Any monster who could eve n lay a finger on the sweet boy was…well, just that. A monster.

Still, he was confusing. It was almost as if he WANTED Roxas to be there for Chance. The only two people he had ever seen the brown-haired teen show any remote care for were Darren and Rose. Several others, too, but even so, he didn't really strive to make friends.

He blinked, and gave his head another shake. He blew out his lips, dismissing Treep. "Whatever, you son-of-a-bitch…" he muttered. Why was he even thinking about Treep? And why had he thought he'd get any information out of the kid? Just a 'Hello' couldn't push Chance off his game that much. This was ridiculous. Treep had probably been lying to Roxas the whole time.

Besides, Chance knew that Roxas cared about him. Okay, maybe Roxas hadn't exactly admitted that he was in love with the teen. But he made it relatively obvious that his heart was in only one place. If Chance didn't get it by now, Roxas wasn't sure what else he could do, except admit that he loved the teen.

He stalked back to the lunch room, trying to push the incident out of his mind, and ran through a list of ideas on how he could cheer Chance up. He looked up to keep an eye on where he was going. Immediately, he realized a second pair of blue eyes was looking into his own, traveling in the other direction. The icy-blonde sent him a smile, and lifted a shy had in greeting.

"Hey, Roxas!" she exclaimed, cheerily enough. Roxas felt a small flicker of a spark light up in his chest. He lifted his hand and waved back.

"Hey, Namine…" he murmured back as they passed. He turned around, watching the blonde stride down the hallway, her steps light and graceful. He blinked again and hunched forward, trudging back to the cafeteria with a small frown on his face.

Maybe Chance wasn't the only one with loyalty issues…

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"Roxas, are you okay?"

"Roxas, you look a little funny…"

"Roxas? Roxy? Yo, kid, you're starting to freak me out, what's eating ya?"

"N-Nothing…" he forced himself to reply. He ducked his head and continued down the hallway, trying to hide the look of terror on his face. Despite his attempts to block the images, her ice-blonde hair still waved in front of his face, her brilliant blue eyes still reflected his look of longing, her pale lips still formed against his. He DEFINITELY had a loyalty issue of his own.

He tried to push it away, gripping even tighter onto his boyfriend's hand as they continued on. He could feel Chance flinching at the pressure, but Roxas didn't stop. He had to put it behind him. He had to. He had to keep reminding himself that he was dating Chance. He had to keep remembering that he was in love with the BOY, and with no one else. He had to keep remembering…No forgetting…Well, remembering one part, but not the other…

Still, it was hard to keep the nerve-wracking memory from his brain…

_"So then you square the equation…" Roxas explained, reaching over the girl's slender shoulder to point at the diagram, aware of her slightly flushed cheeks. "And you have your distance!"_

_ She slumped slightly, letting out a small groan. "It's so much to remember…!" He let out a small laugh in response, pulling his arm away._

_ "It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it!" he exclaimed. He reached into his backpack and shifted around, searching for a work sheet. "Here, tell you what, Nam, we'll go down to the House office, copy my worksheet, and you can work on it! We can compare them later today!"_

_ The girls' eyes brightened. "Okay!" Namine waited patiently as Roxas looked around for his binder. He finally managed it out, slamming it on the desk and flipping through the sections, until he got to his notes area. Flipping through three or four pages of notes, he found what he was looking for. Opening the tabs, he snatched it out, closing them a moment later. "Here we go!" He let her eye the worksheet. "It's only ten or so problems and they all just deal with the distance formula!_

_ "Alright!" Namine exclaimed. She began walking towards the door. "Let's get going!"_

_ Roxas beamed, trotting after her. Suddenly one of his shoelaces flew out, causing him to fly forward. "WHOOA—!" he exclaimed, eyes augmenting. Namine whipped around, only to be bowled to the floor by the blonde. They landed hard on the floor, squinted their eyes in impact. Namine coughed a few times, trying to clear the dust out of her lungs. Roxas hauled himself up, knees on the floor, hands supporting his torso, letting out a small moan of pain. Their eyes slowly went to one another._

_ Roxas was practically sitting on top of Namine, his huge hands placed on the floor next to her head. She was sprawled out underneath him, staring up at him with an awe-struck expression on his face. Roxas felt his heart begin to pound. He didn't know why he started, but he was soon leaning down, his eyes closing. Namine leaned her head up to meet his, their lips colliding for just a split second._

_ The moment he realized what he was doing, Roxas pulled away, gasping. What…What was he doing? His face flushed, remorse filling his stomach. He was…Oh god, no. Chance, Chance, Chance, he was dating Chance, but Namine was here, not Chance, had he had just…But not with Chance…But Namine…Oh god…This is bad, this is bad…_

_ He leapt off of Namine, on his feet a second later. She was slower in her recovery, supporting herself with a single arm to gaze up in a dazed surprise at Roxas. "R-Right, I-I'll go copy it a-and get it to you later…Bye, Namine…!" he stammered as he tripped out the room. He didn't go back for his backpack and binder until he was sure Namine was gone._

He stared down at his shoes, feeling ashamed. He had deliberately cheated on Chance. The excuse that he couldn't control himself wouldn't work here; he was fully conscious of what he was doing the entire time. He knew what he was doing when he leaned down towards Namine. He knew what he was doing when he pressed his lips against Namine. He remembered the feelings he had felt. He hadn't felt it for several months, but he knew what was happening.

And he couldn't let it happen.

Chance still needed him. Though his previous funk seemed to be fading, the teenager was still unstable. Roxas couldn't even imagine the consequences of leaving Chance now. But, even less, he didn't want to think about what Chance's reaction would be if he found out that he and Namine had kissed in the algebra room.

_It'll never happen again, it'll never, I swear…! _Still, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as the memory kept flying through his mind. Why wouldn't is stop? Namine was his friend! It was…it was an accident! He'd never do it again! He was dating Chance! They were going to be going on a date this Friday! He had always been in love with Chance! He shouldn't even be considering doubting his feelings!

"Roxas…Please, my hand hurts, dude…" Chance muttered. Roxas whipped his head around, eyes wide. Chance's eye was watering slightly. He realized that Chance's hand was looking extremely constricted. Roxas loosened his grip, taking in Chance's sigh of relief.

"S-Sorry…" Roxas muttered. "I just…Just had a little panic attack…"

Chance brought Roxas closer and looped his whole arm around the teen, smiling down at him in an encouraging manner. "It's alright, Roxas…" he murmured affectionately, ruffling the teen's hair. Roxas looked back up at him, smiling. The two proceeded down the hallway for a while like this.

She turned the corner and began walking down the hall, in the opposite direction of him. He stumbled slightly, feeling his heart give a small skip. He bit his tongue nervously. _This can't be happening._

Blushing lightly, though trying to conceal it from Chance, he lifted the paper that had been in his hand. "Namine…" he called out tentatively. Her head flew up, realizing Roxas calling for her. Her face flushed red in humiliation as he took in the couple. She ambled over reluctantly. Roxas handed her the paper.

"Here, do these problems…We can check them tomorrow…" he muttered. She managed a nod, plucking the paper out of his hands and hurrying off. He let out a sigh. He was aware that Chance was staring after Namine in surprise, but there was nothing he really could do to explain.

He missed the small look of sadness passing through Chance's eyes.

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The two spent the next day together awkwardly. They didn't run up and hug each other, didn't give each other kisses, or exchange loving looks or words. Roxas would constantly be keeping an eye on Chance, as though determined not to look anywhere else. Chance was always looking over his shoulder, getting distracted by the smallest movement out of the corner of his eyes.

Whatever had caused these unusual behaviors, it was worrying everyone they came in contact with. Neither of them could just ignored the concerned glances thrown at them, and the confused ones at their tendency to blush all over again at the tiniest things.

The two had just parted ways when the blonde was approached. "Roxas…" The mentioned turned around to see his brunette friend and his slate-haired friend walking up to him, the former speaking to him. A worried light was in both their eyes, though it was more evident in his speaking friend's aqua spheres. "Did you and Chance…Did you and Chance fight or something?"

Roxas started, taken aback from the statement. "Wh-What? What made you think that?" Roxas exclaimed, almost in an out-raged tone. Zexion stepped forward.

"Well, you two aren't acting like you usually do…" he stated. "You usually run up and hug each other, and you haven't, which is a first for a long time. And, since you guys usually don't fight, we found it safe to assume…" he trailed off. The slight twitch of his pointer finger on his left hand was his only tell on how anxious he was.

Roxas paused for a moment. He sighed. Was it that obvious? Putting his hands on his hips, he mumbled, "We didn't fight, it's just—"

"What? What happened?" Demyx exclaimed, jumping back slightly. Roxas raised his hands in an attempt to calm Roxas, eyes widening.

"No, no, it's just…Well, we just wanted to take a little break from so much PDA…You know…?" he managed, trailing off in the end. The two stared back at him, slightly suspicious. Roxas let out a small breath. "We're fine, we just need a little time…"

The two nodded, though the seemed reluctant to leave it at just that. Demyx turned away to walk to class, sending a final worried glance towards the blue-eyed, conflicted teen. Zexion turned to him, narrowing his eyes.

"I trusted you to look after Chance…" He turned away and stalked off, muttering just loud enough for Roxas to hear, "Be sure not to disappoint me…"

Roxas stared after Zexion, feeling a small pit burning in his stomach. It was true that Roxas had been stealing Chance away from Zexion; and Zexion had allowed that. But, if Roxas failed to gain his approval…There was no telling what the slate-haired boy would do to keep his best friend safe. He lifted a hand to his heart, feeling it race at not one notion anymore…but two. How could he possibly promise Zexion he could watch out for the black-haired teen, when he was no longer sure if his loyalties were divided or not?

He turned off, managing to get to History before the bell rang. The class took forever to end. He stared at the clock the entire time, bored, and feeling like he was on the verge of tears three times. He shook it off each time, trying to tell himself that everything would pass…

He got out of class and immediately raced to Chance's class, the urge to see him becoming too much to bear. He needed to still believe that Chance was the one, that there was none other. The more time he was with him, the less time he was with the other. His eyes brightened as he caught sight of the boy, and trotted over to him, taking his hand. "Hey, Chance!" he exclaimed. The boy smiled brightly down at him, closing his eye.

"Hey, Roxy…!" he exclaimed. Roxas could've let out a breath of relief. His pet name. That was a good sign. _Whatever this is, we can get through this…_

They continued down the hallway, launching into a conversation of what they were going to do tomorrow.

"So, there's this theatre three towns away that's playing, 'Thankskilling', which is supposed to be so bad, it's HYSTERICAL!" Roxas exclaimed, laughing. "So, we'd need to take a subway right after school to make the seven-o-clock show…We could get dinner there…" Turning back to Chance, he smiled, asking, "Good plan?"

Chance wasn't listening. He was staring off into the distance. The blonde brought their steps to a stop. Roxas traced his gaze, though he knew what was going to be at the end. Treep was standing in the hallway, chatting with Darren, causing the boy to the laugh. His eyes flicked up and saw the couple across the hall. Chance gasped, looking down at his shoes and biting his bottom lip, face going pink. But the tan-skinned boy wasn't even looking at him. He narrowed his eyes at Roxas, muttered something to Darren, and stalked off. Roxas let out a breath. It looked as though they still had a long way to go…

"So, Chance, the movie?" Roxas asked.

"Hmm? Oh…Sorry…I didn't…" Chance paused, then turned to Roxas and slowly wrapped his arms around the boy, burying his head in his hair. "I'm so sorry, Roxas…It's been hard this week…"

Roxas, wrapping his scrawny arms around Chance, pressed the side of his head into Chance's torso, half-closing his eyes, melancholy. "I know what you mean…" he muttered under his breath. Closing his eyes, he proceeded to stroke Chance's back in a soothing, circle pattern. "It's alright, Chance. Whatever happens, we'll get through it…"

He felt Chance nod. The boy pulled away, smiling. His eyes still looked slightly woeful, but they were better than before. "I know…It's just nice to hear it again…"

Roxas smiled back at him. "I'll meet you outside again after I get my stuff out of my locker…" Chance leaned down and gave Roxas a small kiss. "See you soon…" he murmured, just as their lips were parting. Roxas beamed back at him. He watched Chance move for a moment. His movements were a little heavy and almost sloppy, though his co-ordination and confidence made up for what his walk lacked. It was the polar opposite of Namine's graceful stride…

Roxas shook his head, giving him a small slap on the temple with his palm. _Gotta stop doing it…_He turned away, shrugging his backpack to more comfortably rest on his shoulders. He was at his locker a few minutes later, and quickly entered his combination.

A small slip of pink paper fell out as he opened his locker. Confused, he reached down and picked it up. He looked around, as if he would be able to tell who sent it. Hesitantly, he turned back to the note and unfolded it. It was just a huge message, scrawled across the entire page.

'_TELL HIM OR IT'LL BE TOO LATE._'

He leaned back, struck by the oddness of the note. Him? Too late? What was this supposed to be? What did he have to tell someone?  
>His blood ran cold as the realization crept over him.<p>

_"You must really care about him. Be sure he GETS it…That kid's a wreck. It'll take more than super glue to fix what I've done to him…"_

_ "I trusted you to look after Chance…Be sure not to disappoint me…"_

_ I still have to tell him how I feel…_

In the course of three days, their entire relationship seemed to have changed, and everyone who had ever contacted Chance held their breathes in anticipation, turning to Roxas, expecting him to know what to do. It was almost as if they were almost expecting him to admit that he was in love with Chance.

He looked down at the floor, a crestfallen look crossing his face. There was a problem with that.

He couldn't.

Not now. He had just cheated on the boy. He couldn't tell Chance that he loved him AND that he had kissed Namine, in either order. It wasn't fair for Chance. He had to wait for their relationship to become stable again, then explain what had happened between him and Namine. He couldn't have Chance blindly loving someone who had gone astray, if only for a moment.

And then there was Namine herself. Roxas still wasn't sure what he felt for her. He knew that he had always had some sort of feelings for her, but…He never really tried to get into how much, too afraid of risking his feelings for Chance. He had a few things to sort out before he could tell Chance.

He shook his head, crumpling the note in his hand. He wouldn't be too late, whatever that meant. It wasn't as if this was going to end their relationship completely. It couldn't. They just needed a small break from the cuddling, needed to straighten out their emotions, and catch up to one another. That was all.

He got what he needed, and trotted away, slamming his locker shut. He proceeded down the hallway to meet Chance, almost forgetting to throw the note away as he passed a trashcan.

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"You're kidding. You sent him a freaking NOTE?" the dirty blonde snapped. "What, are you two dating now?" Though the joke was added at the end, her mood was anything but humored. Her friend snorted back at her, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"Look, the kid needed it. I know Chance. I told you guys, I hurt him bad, to the point where I can't really go back…" he growled. "If Roxas doesn't get his ass in gear and tell the boy he fucking loves him, Chance is going back to his habits."

"How would you know?" she snapped back, leaning forward to get in his face. "You're the one who broke his heart, and can't go bad, for…God even KNOWS what reason! You probably know him the LEAST!" He narrowed his eyes at her, tensing slightly to keep his temper under control.  
>"Rose, calm down!" their black-haired friend interceded, getting between the two. The brown-haired boy across from the blonde forced himself to calm down, opening his eyes a bit more. Rose let out an exasperated breath, and pulled away, sitting in her chair unhappily. Once the two were adequately keeping their tempers under control, he turned back to the brunette. "But she has a point…Roxas knows what he's doing."<p>

"No, you guys aren't getting the damn point…" the tan boy hissed back at him, his temper contained, but still raving. "Roxas knows him better as a person. But I know him better as a fucking suicidal maniac with habits that won't die if you mutilate them with a sledge hammer." He grit his teeth. He couldn't stand to see it again. The sadness would fester into anger again, the same mistakes would be made…"I know what he's doing. I know the looks he keeps giving me. You think that, after him mooning after me for FOUR FREAKING YEARS, I wouldn't be able recognize that god-awful look on his face?"

Neither of the two responded for a while. Finally, his taller friend leaned back in his chair, sighing.

"You don't have to be so horrible to him all the time, you know…" he muttered. Rose snorted in agreement.

"Yeah, Treep. Why didn't you just give him a try?" she challenged, though her tone was more gloomy curiosity, anger only hinting in her voice. His shoulders tensed at the question. He turned away from them, glaring off to the side.

"I'm not a fucking gay…" he muttered. There were a hundred and one more reasons, none of which he cared to shave, even to his two closest friends.

"Treep, why are you like this? Why can't you just apologize? You could at least—!" Rose persisted, only to be cut off as Treep leapt to his feet, slamming his fists on the table.

"LOOK, IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER! I can't do it, that's IT! JUST FUCKING LEAVE IT AT THAT!" he snarled. The two leaned away, paler than sheets. Treep breathed heavily, gripping the edge of the table. He looked around, only to realize that everyone in the library was looking at him, including an extremely furious librarian, who sent him a death glare spiked with fear. He let out one last, aggravated growl before whipping around to storm out of the book-infested building.

"Treep, wait!" He paused for a second, turning back to see what his porcelain-skinned friend had to say. The bean-pole kid, still getting over his fear attack, managed one final statement before Treep left.

"Happy birthday, tomorrow…"

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Damn.

Love-dramas.

I like this chapter. :)

~Cat's Eye


	14. Not Such a Joyous Occasion

I have nothing to say. I am too tired.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 14: Not Such a Joyous Occasion**

"Chance? Chance? Chance, we gotta go! We'll miss the movie if we don't get going!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, right!" Chance sprang to his feet, dashing to his room and snatching up a red jacket, and putting on his arm bands. He paused, looking at his wrists. His cutting scars no longer jutted out from his wrists as scabs, and were starting to fade back into his skin. Still, his skin was still criss-crossed with the marks of past cuttings, and there were several particularly deep ones that Chance knew would never heal. He sighed, pulling the bands on. Sometimes, he just wished he didn't have to wear his bands.

Still, he couldn't really protest wearing them. People stared at his odd looks enough already. He didn't need them staring at his wrists too.

Sliding them on, he turned to the mirror, tossing his hair a little. He grimaced, staring at the one side that stuck out. If he had really wanted it to blend with the rest of his hair, he'd need four hours, a ton of hair spray and glue, Bobbie pins, and black hair dye. He rubbed his chin, feeling the scraggly little hairs brush against his hand. They grew so slowly, he rarely had to shave, but he didn't have time today. Looking down at his clothing, he realized that none of it was very flattering, causing him to feel even heavier than he had before…Baggy jeans, loose tan shirt, hanging red jacket…

He sighed. Sometimes, he felt like he could write a novel on all his flaws…

Knowing it was far too late to fix his appearance. He jumped out the door, only to skid to a halt at Roxas's appearance. If there was one thing he envied about Roxas above anything else, it was his sense of fashion. Today, he adorned a blue cloth over-coat, large buttons in the middle, a nice pair of black pants, matching leather shoes, and a violet-and-cyan scarf. He smiled at Chance, cheeks turning rosy.

"Wow…" Chance muttered, feeling his own face heat up. He looked guiltily down at himself. "I fell underdressed…"

Roxas let out a small giggle. He stepped forward and took Chance's hand, giving it a small squeeze.

"Hey, you look handsome to me, and that's all that matters…" he murmured, eying Chance with approval. His affectionate words were rewarded with a beam. The two set off down the hallway.

At the same time, their phones vibrated in their pockets, causing them to slow their walk. As they reached the staircase, they were pulling out their cell phones with their other hand, opening the message. To their surprise, they got identical messages from Rose.

"_Dn't forget the surprise b-day party my house 4 him!_"

"Special party?" Roxas asked. He turned to Chance. "You get the same thing…?"

"Yeah. No one mentioned a party to me, dude…" he muttered. He racked his mind, searching for some important event on November twenty seventh. He knew it was there. It just wasn't there…

Roxas shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We're not gonna cancel the movie, right?" he asked, leaning in, as though he had doubts on whether or not Chance would say yes. The teen turned to him, staring at a moment, still running through his head for whatever was on the twenty seventh of November. A few moments later, though, he gave up his search. If it was that important, he would've remembered by now. He closed his phone, smiling down at Roxas.

"Course we are, Rox!" he exclaimed. "We already ordered the tickets and everything!"

The two continued to Chance's white Nissan, and were backing out the parking lot a few minutes later. Still, Chance couldn't help but think he should remember the date. He struggled to remember what it was. It was important, he just knew it was. A few seconds after he started searching for the answer, Roxas distracted him, asking him a question about how the Jaguars were doing, and they continued from there, forgetting about the party for a while.

They were driving up to a yellow light, Chance starting to slow down as he approached the car ahead of him. The guy in front had a forest green truck. It was the same shade as Treep's car…

That's when it hit him. Hard.

Without warning, Chance slammed on the breaks, causing Roxas to almost fly into the windshield, despite the seatbelt. Behind them, several horns blared in protest. Roxas turned to Chance, eyes wide with shock.

"Chance, what the heck?" he asked, exasperated. He gestured to the cars behind them. "You could've caused an accident!"

He paused, realizing that what Chance had done probably hadn't been under his control. The boy was rigid behind the wheel, a panicked look on his pale face. His one-seeing eye was distant, traveling through his memories again. He almost seemed to be letting out little breathes of horror and understanding.

"His birthday…" he breathed. Roxas cocked his head, perplexed.

"Huh?"

"It's his birthday today…" Chance breathed again, though his body was beginning to ease. Whether he was relaxing, however, or just becoming more depressed was a mystery to Roxas at the moment.

"Whose?"

"It's Treep's birthday…" Chance told him, turning to him with eyes of sadness. "I'm surprised I didn't remember sooner…" He let out a bitter chuckle after this, but his face portrayed his dismay rather than his resentfulness. He turned back to the road, pushing his car forward slightly. Roxas flinched. Chance was definitely depressed now. He reached over and put a hand on Chance's hand.

"It doesn't matter. You don't need to remember. He was awful to you…" He gave Chance's hand a small squeeze. "I'm here, Chance," he murmured affectionately.

Chance shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of the information. "I know…It just bothers me a little…" He pressed his foot down on the gas and continued forward, seeing as the light was now glowing the brilliant color of spring-time leaves. "I'm sorry, I'm letting it get to me…"

"It's okay…" Roxas crooned gently. "I know that things are a little tough, but…We'll get through this!" he exclaimed, though at the very end, he trailed off in a slightly awkward manner. He didn't let Chance see the doubt he hid inside of him. _I still have to tell him I kissed Namine…_He shuddered. _Not really looking forward to that._

Chance glanced at him, smiling warmly. "I…I guess." He turned back to the road, letting the silence between them stretch. Roxas tried to quell the doubt he felt in his stomach. Why was he so afraid that their relationship would crumple? It had been fine before, and just because they hit their first real speed bump, doesn't mean everything would fall apart! He wouldn't let it! And he doubted Chance would, either…!

He didn't attempt to start another conversation for some time, leaving Chance alone to sort his thoughts. Several times, he would go to say something, and pondered over whether or not it was wise to let Chance think on his own, seeing as it caused the teen pain. But every time he went to say something, he would find that he had nothing to say. Besides, Chance didn't seem like he was in pain. He just seemed a little secluded from Roxas. Perhaps he just needed to get his mind off of the thoughts, and he'd be fine?

Either way, they were almost at the station before they spoke again, Chance reporting how close they were, Roxas groaning that he was glad the ride was nearly over, a small bout of laughter, and a bit of small-talk. They two stepped out of the car. Roxas gazed eagerly down at Chance's hand, resisting the urge to grip onto it and pull Chance close. Today, he wanted Chance to be the one reaching over.

Well, Chance did, but it wasn't exactly for the ideal reason. Roxas, distracted by Chance's hand, didn't notice the car driving to his right. Eye widening, Chance threw out his hand and grabbed Roxas's, pulling him into his chest. "LOOK OUT!" he shouted. Roxas's eyes widening, his face suddenly crushed by Chance's torso. He turned back, eyes bulging as he realized he had narrowly missed being hit by the purple car. He looked up at the teen, pressing close. Okay, it might be an over-dramatic way of looking at it—the car was going slow, it was a relatively small one, and Roxas would've barely grazed it had he run into it—but Chance had saved his life.

"Careful, dude!" the black-hair teen exclaimed. "Last thing I wanna do is pry you off the pavement!"

Roxas let out a small laugh. He bat his eyes playfully at Chance. "My hero…" he purred, causing Chance to turn a shade short of rose. His heart let out a small sigh. They were still having these moments…

The subway ride in wasn't very eventful. The most that happened was Roxas pressing his head into Chance's shoulder, who promptly rest his head on top of the blonde's. They seldom spoke; feeling the relieved atmosphere around them said what needed to be said.

The two continued into the theatre, hand in hand. They walked up to the ticket printing machine, printed out their pre-ordered tickets, then walked to the person behind the counter to get them into the theatre. Once there, they settled in their seats, which were, instead of being set up like the typical theatre, surrounding a large, rectangular table, with menus on it and waiters coming and going, catering to people's wills. The two glanced down the menus, looking for something appetizing. Chance's mind, however, wasn't quite attached to the menu.

"Hey, Chance, what do you think, the cheeseburger, or the Temple of Nachos?" Roxas asked, leaning over to Chance and pointing at the two dinner options in his menu. Chance stared blankly at his menu for a few seconds, then turned to Roxas. Taking in the boy's words, he pondered them for a moment, only to look down at the blonde, confused.

"Who gives a cheeseburger or some nachos to someone on their birthday?" he asked. He went back into brooding, staring blankly at his menu again. Roxas tilted his head, misplaced by Chance's statement. Apparently, they weren't thinking of the same thing.

"Birthday…? Chance, I'm talking about dinner…What are you talking about?" he asked hesitantly. Chance, in a delayed manner, came back to reality, sitting bolt up-right a few seconds after Roxas had finished his sentence. He buried his head in his menu, blushing darkly.

"O-Oh, dinner…! Um, we could…split the nachos…?" he stammered, as though his words were having trouble getting out. He scanned across the menu quickly, keeping his eyes constantly dodging Roxas's. Roxas stared at the boy's strange behaviors, mulling over what the boy had said. When it came to him, he let out a small gasp of astonishment.

"You aren't HONESTLY thinking about getting him a birthday gift, are you…?" he squeaked, almost offended by the notion. Sucking in a breath, Chance buried his head deeper into the menu, not answering. Roxas stared the teen down, knowing what the answer would be, but still hoping that, secretly, it wouldn't be true.

The murmuring in the background faded. Soon, all either of them could here was the eerie silence between the two.

Finally, Chance sighed, pulling his head out of the menu. He turned to Roxas, face expressing despair, confusion, and care, his pretty mocha eye lined with tears. "I-I just thought, you know…I could try to be his friend again, and, well…"

"Chance…" Roxas breathed, feeling his heart drop. So, there it was. It was true. All along, he had known it, but it hadn't hit him like this until now. Chance still had feelings for Treep. Whatever those feelings were, however long they would last, Roxas didn't know. But what he did know was that it was causing Chance to feel pain, and making him feel as if he still had to impress the anger-prone teen. And that had to stop. He blinked, shaking his head, and reached a hand over to grip onto Chance's, clutching onto it. "Chance, please, he broke your heart…! He left you! Why are you doing this to yourself?" he hissed, shaking Chance's hand up and down. He wanted more than anything to encourage the boy, to keep his hopes up, to allow him to believe…But it was just one wish that would never come true. The boy grit his teeth, slamming his eyes shut.

"You know why…" he groaned. He turned to Roxas, a tear trailing down his face. In a hoarse, close to sobbing voice, he managed, "I still care about him…" Turning his head down, he broke his hand away from Roxas's grasp, making two fists in his lap. "And I want him…To care about me…" he whimpered. "I love you, Roxas, but…" Unable to say more, he hunched even lower, trying to keep himself from sobbing in the middle of the movie theatre. Roxas stared down at him, feeling his own heart hurting. The relief that Chance still cared about him did little to ease his strain, however. He felt as though his heart was breaking with Chance's, as if he had felt the same pain Chance had felt all these years, just looking at the boy trying to cry. It was more than he could bear.

He stood up, and knelt down in front of Chance, looking down at his face. A few more tears were trailing off his cheeks. He barely managed to open his eye to look at Roxas, sucking in a breath. The teen lifted his hand and put it under Chance's chin, caressing it gently.

"It just hurts more to know I have you…And I…I still miss him…!" Chance moaned quietly. "I feel awful…" Roxas leaned up and kissed Chanced lightly on the cheek, feeling him flinch away. He sat Chance up and placed himself on Chance's lap, his seat on Chance's thighs, his legs trailing down underneath him. He wrapped his arms around Chance, pressing the boy's face into his chest as he sobbed. Chance placed his hands tentatively against Roxas's back, his eye squinted shut.

"I don't care. I don't, Chance…" he murmured, stroking the boy's hair. "I've known all along that you'd always have feelings for him…" He bent his head down, staring down at Chance, trying not to let out a cry at the boy's torn expression. "Yet you love me too…You just said so," he murmured, leaning down into the boy's ear. "I can wait as long as I need to for you to get over him, and if you never do, I'll still be here. I promise I will, until you say I should leave…"

Chance gripped him tighter, his sobs easing, but the breathes he sucked in still sounding painfully strained. "I really don't want you to leave, but you really should…" he moaned. He looked up at Roxas, his eye not quite dead, but far too dull to look natural. It just looked out of place on Chance's characteristically peppy face. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a lost cause, and—"

"Don't," Roxas commanded, sternly putting a finger on top of Chance's lips before the boy could finish the sentence. He turned his head slightly; the tears in his eyes making them glitter further with adoration. "Nothing is a lost cause until you say it is. You just need time, and I'm ready to give you all the time in the world…" He pressed his forehead onto Chance's, trying to get the boy to settle down. "I care about you. Enough to look past this. However long this will take, we can get through this together…"

_But you only care._

_ You don't love me…_He kept saying he could wait. But if Roxas had to keep putting up with this, day after day, could he really justify his denial?

Chance didn't relax for a bit, no longer crying his eyes out, but tense, constantly conflicting over whether he should hold the boy tightly until the wave of pain passed, or to let go and push away to prevent Roxas from sharing any more of the experience than he had to. Roxas adjusted himself on Chance's lap so that he was sitting across him, which was a little easier on his form, and kept close to the teen, soothing him with his words, his hands constantly stroking the mocha-eyed teen's hair and form.

It definitely didn't feel like the right time.

He was right. Treep was making things more complicated. If he threw those three words into the equation, plus his admitting that he had kissed Namine…Chance's fragile mind couldn't handle that much. He felt the words come out of his mouth. He wanted to say them; desperately, he wanted Chance to know how he felt, before something else like this happened. Those three words would be the ultimate source of comfort, he felt, if only he had said them before. He could be using them now; he could've used them before…

_"I love you," he'd say, and Chance would look up at him with his one bright eye once again, and they'd kiss and murmur sweet nothings to each other, and neither of them would have divided emotions ever again._ It might've been too perfect of a fantasy, but it was how Roxas saw it. Those three words could be the one solace in Chance's life that would always bring him back.

But he'd first have to admit that he loved Chance. And before that, his incident in the math room. For now, Chance's prior feelings for Treep were enough trouble.

The waiters were beginning to come around, which forced Roxas to return to his chair, though he reached over and took one of Chance's hands. Their server seemed a bit concerned at Chance's downcast expression and Roxas's anxiety, but commented naught, simply taking their order and dashing off with the rest. Roxas turned to Chance, sending the boy a smile.

"Feeling any better?" he murmured. Chance turned to him, not smiling, but looking grateful.

"I do…A bit…" Chance muttered. Roxas let out a small sigh, crestfallen at his date's still-miserable disposition. He grit his teeth slightly. It would be a small sacrifice, but…

He gave Chance's hand a small squeeze. "If you really want to, we can get him a gift, and I'll get someone to get it to him…" he murmured. Chance looked at him, eye wide. He shook his head, shutting his eye.

"N-No, it's alright, it's a really bad idea…" he muttered in a tired tone. Roxas turned his chair fully to Chance, looking him in the eye. He managed a weak smile.

"If you really think that…But if it would make you feel better, we could at least get him a card…" he murmured, reaching over to trail a hand down Chance's right cheek. He briefly lifted the teen's bangs and stared at the scars on his eyes. They weren't as grotesque as before, at the very least, with no fresh marks. "I never want this to happen again. I'll do whatever it takes." He let Chance's bangs fall again and let his hand trail against Chance's square-shaped jaw. Chance shuddered in a stunned manner, shutting his eye and letting out a small breath. He slowly opened his eye into a narrow slit. He lifted his hand and put it on top of Roxas's, tenderly gripping onto it. The romantic expression on his face made Roxas's heart race.

"You never let me forget how much I care about you…" Pressing his cheek against Roxas's hand, he managed a small smile, shutting his eye peacefully again. "You're more than I deserve…" Before Roxas could protest, Chance leaned in and gave him a small peck on the lips, possibly to silence the boy's argument, but more believably because he couldn't contain his emotions anymore. Roxas was frozen for a moment, his heart beating too quickly for him to speak. Slowly, though, a smile stretched across his face. He chuckled a little, blushing.

"I disagree with that, but I guess my argument is invalid at this point…" Chance smiled at him.

"I wasn't finished…" he murmured.

"And you were going to say?'

"You're more than I deserve…" Chance leaned forward and gripped Roxas's face, pushing his forehead against Roxas's. "And yet you're with me anyways…"

"Of course I am…I care about you…" Roxas murmured, putting a hand on Chance's cheek. For now, that was all he could say. He could sense Chance's unease under his layer of serenity. If he were to tell him about Namine now, he may go back to his depression.

But he could still wait. There was still time. He believed so, and the light in Chance's eye almost seemed to tell Roxas that he could, too, even though they couldn't have both been thinking the same thing.

Everything would be fine…Everything would be fine…

Their food came, and the movie turned on shortly after this. Quietly feeding each other nachos, the two watched the god-awful horror movie, laughing at how ridiculously stupid it was, hand in hand.

The only thing that separate it from any other date was that their minds were in other worlds, Roxas's trying to figure out how to tell Chance, and Chance…Wondering what he could get Treep.

Everything would be fine?

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"NIGHT TREEPY-POO I LOVE YOU!" the drunk-appearing girl shouted, swaggering around, clinging onto her boyfriend's shoulder to keep herself up-right. The root beer bottle in her hand made her act even more believable. Her boyfriend sighed and rolled his eyes, amused by her antics. He merely snorted at the scruffy-haired teen's behavior.

"Yeah, keep her sober, D. I don't even wanna think about letting her in the street with alcohol pumping through her blood."

The curly-haired boy laughed at this, and proceeded to drag the blonde home, occasionally letting out a laugh at how ridiculously she was moving. He watched after them for a while, then turned back into the house.

"Just me and you now…" He turned to see his bean-pole friend ambling over, his lanky figure bending slightly as he ducked through the doorway.

"Yeah, your mom's not getting back till…When again?" he asked, closing the door. His silky-haired friend led him to the living room, where shredded wrapping paper littered the floor, gifts piled up in the corner.

"She's not coming back till Tuesday, around one in the morning…" the boy remarked in reply. He smirked towards the tan-skinned teenager. "You should know. You practically live here."

He shrugged, plodding over to the couch and seating himself on it, hands in his grey-green pockets. "Not like I got anywhere else to be…" He felt a hand ruffle through his hair. He flinched away, but he didn't resist. One of his eyes closed in protest, his seeing eye gazing up at his black-haired friend, an awkward frown on his face.

"Happy Birthday, Treep…" he murmured affectionately, his midnight-blue eye glimmering. Treep half-closed his eye, opening his other with the same bored expression. He leaned back against the couch, sighing.

"Just tacking on another year…No big deal…" he grumbled. Still, his eyes flicked over to the small pile of presents nearby, within reach. He pulled out a small little paper back, grinning slightly.

"Fucking bitch knows me too well…" he muttered, opening it slightly. "It's almost sadistic…" He lifted one of the bone-shaped treats from the bag and took a large bite out of it, almost feeling as though his tail had sprouted from his rump and was wagging back and forth. He didn't need his eyes to be open to tell who the chuckle was from.

"You're such a dog…" he teased.

"I have my MilkBones, your argument is invalid…" he grumbled good-humoredly. He popped the rest in his mouth, pulled out a second one, then tucked the back away. Just as he was putting the second one in his mouth, the door bell rang. He sighed, holding the bone with his teeth as he used his arms to leap over the couch. "I told her not to forget her damn bra…" he grumbled though the words were slightly muffled by the bone in his mouth. The black-haired boy, however, had understood enough of it. His friend hesitated a moment, leaning back.

"She took it off?" he exclaimed, a little freaked out. Treep pulled the bone to talk clearer.

"I dunno, but knowing her, it's either her IPod, or some article of clothing…" He walked to the door, and opened it. "Next time, make sure everything's with you before—" He cut himself off as he realized no one was standing at the door. He looked left, then right, then down the street. As far as he could see or hear, no one was there, and no one was leaving. Odd, any door-ringers would probably be nearby; giggling their behinds off…He glanced down, for no apparent reason, only to take in a single black envelope. He kneeled down and lifted it up, closer to his right eye to see the name better. Barely visible in pen, 'Treep' was engraved on the card. He felt a head over his shoulder, two eyes flicking as they took in the card.

"What's this? Another gift?" he asked. Treep turned it around, looking for an indication as to who it was from. Nothing. Whoever the sender was, they were certainly determined to be anonymous.

"I guess…It's for me…" he grumbled, putting the bone back in his mouth, but not munching on it yet. He walked back into the house, trudging down the hallway, hearing and feeling his friend a step or so behind him.

"Whose it from?"

"Dunno…" He started opening it, almost back in the living room. The card inside was a blue at the top, fading slowly into a dark navy blue, the bottom lined with the shadows of grass. There was nothing on the inside except for some scrawl, written in silver marker.

"Happy Birthday, Treep"

It looked like the writer almost wrote his name, but then viciously scribbled it out. He managed to get a 'ce' at the very end, but it didn't help very much. He flipped the card around, trying to find out who sent it. A slender, pale finger pointed at something on the card. It was a small, almost-unnoticeable dark blue button, off to the edge.

"Hey, it's got some sort of sound or light!" he exclaimed. Treep snorted.

"Probably from Rose. She's just trying to—"

He cut himself off when he pressed the button.

Immediately, just staring at it for five seconds, he knew who it was from. Icy claws gripped his heart as the memories of that night washed over him. Nothing had happened that night. Except, clearly, that had been the night where all of this hysteria started.

It was from the one who just wouldn't give up.

"Oh, cool, it's like fireflies!" his friend remarked, unaware of the, look of horror on his friend's face.

_Shit. This is REALLY bad…_

The MilkBone clattered to the floor.

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Mental break-downs all around.

Whee.

~Cat's Eye


	15. Forgotten Memories

**(Author's Note: The entire chapter was written before the fanfiction was started, but seeing as it was part of the plot, I decided to add it as a chapter instead of having it a separate tale. That also explains why the writing's a bit dated, and doesn't flow quite as well with the rest of the story.)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 15: Forgotten Memories**

_Some memories are never meant to be shared, but are shared anyways._

_ Two halves of a whole, connected yet apart._

_ A memory or two slipped into the other, and causing a world of confusion…_

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"Hey, Chance!"

He didn't need to look up to identify the individual calling his name. The voice alone proclaimed who it was. Nonetheless, he looked anyways, smiling as he saw the boy bounding down the beach towards him, his sky blue eyes bright and wide. The spikes on his hair bounced ever so slightly as he ran, the chocolate-colored strands flying left and right. The boy didn't wear his half jacket on, or his shoes; just his blue undershirt and black pants.

He sat up taller, smiling at the boy. Balancing his weight on his other hand, he lifted his right arm and waved at the vivacious teenager. "Yo, Sora! Sup?" he called out.

"Not much!" Sora panted as he finally reached the tree. Reaching out his right arm, he jumped into the air, pushed himself up, and landed effortlessly on his behind, breathing hard.

"Dude, if you're tired after THAT run, you're WAY out of shape!" Chance chuckled.

"HEY!" Sora exclaimed, socking Chance in the arm. Chance leaned away, rubbing his arm, still laughing. There was a light in Sora's eyes that told him he didn't take it to heart.

"So, what brings you to Destiny Island, Chance?" Sora questioned, placing his hands on the trunk to keep him upright. "And where's Roxas?" His eyes flashed slightly, but it passed by so quickly, Chance didn't even get the opportunity to identify the emotion.

The mocha-eyed teen felt a small sting in his chest. Things have been a little off with Roxas ever since last Monday. He still had to patch things up and get his feelings for Treep—which he was being careful not to dwell upon—straightened out. Besides, Roxas seemed a little jumpy around him, almost guilty of harboring a secret.

But there wasn't much else they could do at the moment. Whatever conflicts they had, they just had to deal with it internally.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno where Rox is…We didn't have any plans for today. Early we had some ice-cream at Twilight Town…" He smiled at the end of the sentence, blushing lightly. At the very least, they were still dating, kissing, hugging, nuzzling…Even if it was less, at least he still had it.

"Alright! Well, I get sick of seeing him all the time too, so I understand the need for a break!" Sora teased, poking at Chance. The multi-colored haired boy let out an over-the-top offended gasp, and shoved Sora off the trunk, laughing. Sora landed on the ground heavily, smirking slyly. He brought himself to his knees and put his arms on the trunk, putting his head on his arms.

"You had it coming…" he said in his defense. Chance snickered slightly.

"Sure I did…" Sora was up on the trunk again a second later.

"So why did you choose Destiny Island?"

"Eh, just wanted to chill here for a bit." Sora noticed that Chance's skin was slightly damp, a water drop occasionally drifting to the ground. His eyes widened.

"You didn't swim here, did you?" he squeaked. Chance shrugged again.

"It's not that hard of a run, actually! Sides, unlike you," he added in a teasing manner, "I'M in shape!"

Sora crossed his arms, pouting. "I was just on a patrol, okay?"

"Excuses, excuses!"

"But, seriously, you're INSANE! I mean, you're in a black tang top, black pants, that giant MOP you call hair, and you went SWIMMING in that?"

Chance sent Sora a playful glare. "Hey, it isn't a mop!"

Sora snickered. "Looks like someone just picked up random bits of hair and stuck them to your head with superglue!"

"HEY!" Chance snapped, giving Sora a hit. Sora pat his head where Chance had smacked it, smiling brightly.

"You hit hard for a girl!" he teased. Chance scowled slightly, his eye sparkling in mischief. Despite everyone claiming that Sora and Roxas were opposites, when you got to know them, their personalities were actually pretty similar. Once Roxas got to know you, he was just as hyper-active and loud as Sora, quite unlike the quiet, innocent boy everyone pictured him to be. He like the teen. Sora could find a topic just as fast as Chance would when they found nothing else to talk about on the previous subject. It was like a contest as to who could find the topic first. Well, that, and a jeering contest on the occasion.

"So, taunting aside, what are_ you_ doing here, Sora?" Chance asked, changing the subject.

"Well, like I said, I just came back from patrol, and…" Sora suddenly paused, eyes growing slightly larger. A frown replaced the grin on his face. Chance cocked his head to one side, confused by the sudden serious air that came off the normally hyper-active teen.

"Sora?"

Sora kept staring at Chance's face, a thoughtful expression on his face. Suddenly, he leaned towards Chance, his eyes half-closing. His left hand lifted upwards and travelled over to Chance's hand. It wrapped around Chance's hand and gripped it tightly. Chance looked down at their hands, eyes large, then looked back at Sora's face.

"Sora, what are you doing…?" he asked in a small voice, slightly intimidated by this unexpected intrusion. The teen was almost acting like Roxas used to when they first started dating…Sora blinked, and shook his head. He scooted over so he could sit up, no longer leaning towards Chance, but closer than before. He released the paler boy's slender hand, but didn't take his hand off of it. Chance made no attempt to brush the bigger hand aside.

"…I don't know…" Sora muttered, looking down at his shoes. A downcast expression covered his face, and the boy was clearly flustered. He looked back at Chance, as though searching for answers. "I just suddenly felt like getting closer to you, but I don't know why."

Chance felt his heart give a little start. Having Sora so close without a decent explanation was slightly nerve-wracking. After all, the boy WAS Roxas's Somebody, and though he was not Roxas, he was close enough for Chance to have a small soft spot for the boy. Slightly softer than any other soft spot he had given. Especially since he was dating the brunette's twin.

Maybe these feelings, small as they were, were they only because he looked so similar to his brother. Either way, they were there, small, crush-like feelings, which were easier to just keep under control than to repress it. Small, crush-like feelings that shouldn't be there, seeing as, not only was he dating his twin, but was in love with another. Even so, they were there, and there really wasn't any reason to get concerned at the moment.

But, why was Sora doing this?

"Why would you want to get closer?" Chance questioned, leaning back slightly. He had a boyfriend; their relationship was a bit on edge at the moment, but he was dating him. What would happen if his boyfriend's brother started hitting on him? Because, at the moment, that's what it seemed like Sora was doing…

"I don't know…" Sora cocked his head to one side, still confused. Chance felt his own bewilderment level rise. Sora didn't seem like he wanted to flirt with Chance, and he certainly wasn't acting like a lovesick fool. It was more like he was acting out of instincts, searching for answers along the way. "I mean, it's not that I like you or anything. At least, I don't think I don't. But, there's this really weird feeling in my chest that…I dunno…"

Chance sat straight back up, getting closer to Sora, but his curiosity was more than his wariness. "Has this ever happened before?" he asked.

Sora shook his head. "No, I've had crushes, but it wasn't like this. I mean…" Sora looked Chance dead in the eye. "My heart isn't racing, and I'm not nervous like I'd normally be…Are you nervous?" he asked suddenly. Chance hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I mean, you're gay, so wouldn't you get a bit more embarrassed?"

Chance could've been offended by this, and could've been angry at Sora, but there was an earnest look on the boy's face that told Chance that the boy wasn't looking to provoke him. He was just looking for answers…Chance shook his head. "I'm a bit wary, but I'm not nervous…"

Sora nodded. The two were silent for a bit. They simply stared at each other's faces, trying to make sense of this or that. Suddenly, Sora asked, "Would it be bad if I suddenly hugged you?"

Chance leaned back again, slightly startled by the request. Asking for a hug? That was a bit strange by Sora's standards. Sora was the one who'd normally jump up and randomly tackle people over, claiming it to be a show of affection.

"I guess it wouldn't be that bad…" Chance muttered. And why was he all of a sudden nervous about hugs? He was one of those people, too…He scooted a bit closer. Slowly, but in a determined fashion, Sora scooted over and slipped his hands around Chance's torso, gripping him around the stomach, hands pressed against the right side of his ribcage. He tilted his head upwards and rested his chin on Chance's shoulder. The black-haired boy turned his head, looking down at Sora, wondering what the boy would request next. For a while, Sora was silent, eyes closed, pondering over this and that. He opened his eyes.

"I'm still not feeling anything…"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, neither am I…" Chance muttered. Sora stared up at him. Then, he asked, "Have we ever…done something like this before?"

Chance's eyes grew larger. "We've never really been on Destiny Island together like this…"

"Like, just the two of us here?"

"No, not with just you…Why do you ask?"

"It's just…" Sora paused. He chewed on his bottom lip slightly, mulling over his thoughts. "It's just, this seems so familiar, it's like I remember it…Being here with you, hugging you, this weird feeling in my chest…"

"What does the feeling feel like?"

"It's like…It's almost like some moth's wings are tickling my heart, but so faintly I can barely feel it…"

It was quiet for a bit. Having Sora holding him so close was making Chance feel a little guilty as his thoughts travelled back to Roxas. Whatever he said about his relationship with Roxas was now, he still cared about him, and wouldn't like to be torn from the blonde for any other reason.

"Chance?"

"Hmm?" Chance murmured, looking down at Sora. The intense expression on the boy's face unnerved him slightly.

"Would you…I mean, I know you have a boyfriend, and it's my brother, but…"

"But…?"

"Would you mind if…I kissed you?"

Chance stared down at the boy, eyes huge. Kiss him? Why was this so familiar? Come to think of it, it DID feel like Chance had been here before, a similar—if not the exact same—conversation, similar person, same place…

"Kiss me?" he asked. Wasn't that crossing the line just a little bit? Usually, only couples kissed, and people in relationships didn't typically kiss other people…He would deliberately be cheating on Roxas, and would have to own up to it eventually…

Still, he couldn't help but feel curious as to why this all seemed so familiar…

"Yeah…" Sora shook his head left to right, then looked down at his shoes. "I don't understand why, but I feel like there's a piece of me that wants to do that…" He looked up. "I'm really confused right now, but I think, if I kept looking into that piece, I'd know what was wrong…I…I just feel like I want to kiss you."

Chance was silent for a while. He would love to help Sora out, but a kiss? Just some random kiss, for no real reason? Sora wasn't being clear, and Chance didn't completely understand what the boy was feeling. He himself was slightly tense, wanting to remain loyal to Roxas, but at the same time, curious about his brother. As he had mentioned before, Sora and Roxas had their similarities, but at the same time, there were parts of their personality that were like the sun and the moon. What would Roxas be like, Chance wondered, if he had more of Sora's fire? What if he had that something that Sora had? What DID Sora have that made Chance value him slightly over his other friends?

And the kiss…What would Sora feel? What would Chance feel? The teenager had no idea. He was curious, though. It was Roxas's brother…But, would Roxas mind more, or less because of that? Did it make Chance's right? Was satisfying his curiosity worth risking his relationship?

In the back of his head, a small voice whispered, _Roxas doesn't have to know…_

He shook his head. _He's my boyfriend! I can't just kiss random guys and not tell him!_

Still, Sora was his friends. Friends helped each other, right? And, after all, it was just a random kiss…It wasn't like it would mean anything…He was sure it could be explained to Roxas…

Just one little kiss.

"Um, I guess so…" Chance muttered. Sora didn't brighten at the prospect, or really even react. He simply blinked again.

"Really?"

"Well, if you think it would help you understand what's wrong, then why not?" Chance shrugged. _And it would satisfy my own curiosity, too._

Sora stared at him for a moment. Then, he began to close his eyes, leaning in. Chance mirrored the boy, keeping them narrowly open, in case Sora was going to pull something funny. But, it appeared to be just a genuine kiss. He closed his eyes again. Chance didn't know what else he could've been expecting, but with Sora acting like this, he was liable to believe anything.

Right before their lips met, Sora hesitated, pulling back slightly, a light of doubt briefly shining on his face. Chance opened his eyes into narrow slits, seeing Sora do the same. The two paused for a moment. Then, Sora leaned in and gave Chance a small kiss on the lips.

Chance hardly felt anything more than a small spark in his chest. Suddenly, he remembered. He knew why this was so familiar. He recognized this. He realized why Sora was acting so strange.

But he let the boy keep kissing him, for he wanted to feel what the boy felt. Besides—though he would never say it out loud—Sora was a good kisser. He had no idea what experience Sora had had in the past; he had kissed Kairi, Chance was pretty sure, during their brief relationship. But, compared to his brother's first few kisses, Sora was…significantly better.

Chance tried to ignore this little fact—though it was hard to when his lips were still pressed against the tanner boy's—and set his mind towards Sora, trying to read the boy. The boy was remembering, not feeling. There was a memory like this, that he had witnessed, but hadn't actually lived through. And the memories tied with the emotions of his other; Roxas. Chance remembered this day, from long ago, but although he was remembering, Sora was only feeling his other half; Roxas. Because Roxas cared about Chance enough to want to kiss him, Sora felt a hint of that. It was the same for why Roxas and Kairi got into a few awkward moments with each other; Sora's past relationship with Kairi altered Roxas's feelings for the girl.

The two halves were apart, but still affecting each other.

Sora was just trying to figure that out for himself.

Chance didn't try and count how many seconds they remained in place. Less than a minute, but more than ten seconds, he guessed. Part of it was his own fault; like he had thought before, Sora wasn't that bad of a kisser, either, and Chance's heart weakly fluttered as he took in the texture of his boyfriend's twin's lips. He might've been the one who let the kiss last longer than it should have.

Sora pulled away first, eyes slowly opening. Chance opened his eyes right away, blinking. Sora slowly unwrapped his arms from Chance's torso. His eyes still looked confused as he stared into a lone mocha eye.

"Still nothing," Sora affirmed. He pressed close to Chance. "I just…For some reason, being near you feels right…" He looked up at Chance, eyes wide. "Is it because you're dating Roxas or something?"

Chance paused, placing his words in the correct order before he spoke them. "Well, it wouldn't surprise me…" Sora's eyes got larger, and his frown deepened slightly. Chance stared at the setting sun, leaning back on his hand. "You're half of Roxas, right? Since you're his Somebody, you might share some of his memories, and part of his emotions…"

"Memories?"

Sensing the beginning of panic in the boy's voice, Chance put a hand on Sora's hand, and looked up to the sky. "A while ago, when we were back in the Organization, Roxas…Well, I think he was beginning to question his sexuality back then. We were on Destiny Islands that day, and he asked if he could hold my hand, and hug me…And he kissed me, too…" Turning to Sora, he finished with, "Just like this…"

"Wait, does that mean…Our memories are messed up?" Sora exclaimed, fear lighting his eye. There was the panic. Chance gave Sora's hand a squeeze, looking back at him. He managed a weak smile.

"Relax. You're his Somebody. Your memories are all yours. Just, some things might seem familiar, because of emotions or memories…"

"So, we share feelings?"

Chance paused for a moment, the continued, "Sora, I'm not the person to be asking these questions…I just think that your hearts are so closely twined together, that you two sometimes share a memory, or feelings. That could be why you felt so strange…"

"Does that mean I really like you?"

Chance shook his head. "No, you don't feel the feelings to their full extent…" _And I don't even know how much Roxas likes me…_"But you probably just want to get close because Roxas gets close…" Chance scratched the back of his neck. "It's hard to explain…I don't even get it."

"So I don't like you?" Sora asked.

"Like I said, I dunno, Sora…Only you can answer that for sure…"

It was quiet for a bit. Sora looked down at his shoes.

"…I think I like you a bit…" he whispered. The confession didn't exactly surprise Chance, but it still caused his eyes to augment. He didn't seem embarrassed or humiliated to admit it, though. He just seemed like he wanted to get it out of the way. His head turned up to face Chance. "I'm not gay, I know. I'm pretty sure, for the most part, I'm straight. But, you…" He leaned back slightly, looking up at the sky. "You're different…Maybe it's because of Roxas…" He looked back at Chance, and teased, "Or maybe I think you're attractive under that mop…!"

Chance snorted. The mood around them lightened a little with their old jeer contest coming back into play for a second. "I just thought you should know." Sora looked towards the setting sun, staring at the orange sphere setting, disappearing behind the waves. "I don't want you and Roxas to break up, and I don't really want to go out with you…" Sora looked back at Chance. "But I know you're more than a friend, and…I like kissing you, I guess."

Chance was silent for a moment. The only one who had ever confessed to him was Roxas, and it was more of a plead to go on a date with him. He had confessed his love to people twice; one time it was totally rejected, the other it was returned to an extent. Being so unfamiliar with this area of relationships, he wasn't quite sure how to react.

Before he could say anything, Sora was already asking, "Chance, do you like me? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, but…Do you?" Those brilliant blue eyes bore into Chance, searching for the truth.

Chance paused, unsure how to answer it. It wasn't that he didn't know the answer. He knew there was Treep. He knew there was Roxas. He knew that Roxas was Sora's twin.

But, despite all those factors, he couldn't help but have feelings for the boy, infinitesimal as they may be. Enough to enjoy kissing him, just like Sora did. He almost wished he could give Sora a chance; they had a pretty good deal in common, they were both rather active, both headstrong, and with energy levels that seemed slightly higher than the norm. He was sure that he and Sora would get along great. Maybe, if they spent time with each other, they could even fall in love…

But Chance didn't think it would get that far. He and Sora's energy would cause more quarrels, with disagreements on what to use that energy on. They'd break up, and having a friendship would be hard on both of them. And, even if Sora and him would probably get along, Sora wasn't Roxas, and he certainly wasn't Treep, either (he was still trying to get the tan-skinned boy out of his mind.) Much as he regretted to say it, he didn't think anything would last between them.

He took a deep breath, and let out a sigh. He closed his eye for a moment, the looked back at Sora. "Truth? Yeah. I like you a good deal…"

Sora leaned back, a bit baffled. "Not nearly as much as I like Roxas…And, it might only be because you're Roxas's brother, or because I'm gay, but…I think there's more to that. You mean more to me than any of my other friends, and, honestly, your cute face is hard not to like," he added, bopping Sora on the nose. He sneaked in a small grin. Sora smirked, letting out a giggle, brushing the thinner hand away. Chance turned serious again.

"But, I don't think it would work out…You're not Roxas, and you aren't…" He paused. Slowly, he looked down to his feet, a downcast expression on his face. Sora's eyes widened at the sudden burst of depression. "You're not HIM, either…" Sora gently reached over and wrapped an arm around Chance, rubbing the boy's shoulder for a few moments. It was silent for a bit. When the older teen relaxed, Sora pulled his arm away, smiling at the teen. Chance turned his head to him, a grateful look on his face. "Thanks…"

"Anytime…"

"But my point is…my feelings for them are more…" Sora looked as if he wanted to say something—probably to chide Chance for still having feelings for a certain rude-boy—but he closed his mouth, holding his tongue. It really wouldn't help at this moment to point that out. He just listened patiently to the rest of what the mocha-eyed boy had to say. "And, as much fun as we have as friends, I don't think it would be the same if we got together…" Chance put his hand on Sora's, not taking his eyes off the boy's tanner face. "I like you, and I like kissing you. Just not enough…"

The two stared at each other for a moment. Their heads slowly turned back to the sea, looking out. Sora sighed, slouching slightly. "Does that mean that this conversation was pointless?" he asked, letting out an exasperated breath.

Chance laughed slightly, shrugging. "I don't think so…I think it needed to be said…" He smiled at Sora, eye closed. "I mean, now we understand why we act so weird with each other…"

Sora looked up. "What about Roxas?"

Chance cocked his head to one side. Sora turned to him. "I mean, what should we tell him? I mean, you two are dating, and…We kissed…" Well, Sora was rather blunt with the situation.

"…Oh…" Chance murmured, turning away. He rubbed his hand on the back of his head, an awkward expression on his face. "Weeeeell…It's kinda…complicated at the moment…I don't really wanna talk about it…"

"It sounds like you do…" Sora commented, noting the desperate note in Chance's tone. Chance stared off into the sunset for a few moments. Then, he sighed, closing his eye. When it opened again, it was a tone duller than before, almost darker too.

"We've been…Sorta out-of-sorts for a bit…I mean, I still have my feelings for…" He paused, then pulled himself together to finish the sentence. "For him, and…I dunno, Roxas has been kinda distant lately…"

"How so?" Sora asked, turning his head to one side.

"Well…" He didn't want Sora to know his growing suspicion that Roxas hadn't forgotten his feelings for Namine. Sora was a great kid, but he wasn't a very good secret keeper. "He hasn't exactly been avoiding me, but it's like…He has something to tell me, and he doesn't. I know he likes me, but…" He missed Sora's eye roll at this statement, but seeing as the brunette said nothing to indicate he had made such an action, Chance didn't turn his head. "I was never really sure how much." Chance looked back towards the foliage of the island. "I dunno how he'd react, honestly…"

"Maybe we just shouldn't tell him then…"

Chance's head whipped around, almost slapping Sora across the face with his hair. His lone eye was wide. Sora lifted his hands, leaning back in defense.

"What I mean, is that…!" Sora paused. He scratched his temple, then itched around his ear. "Well, he's not clear with his feelings for you. He keeps his secrets from you. Or, at least, that's what is sounds like…" Sora's hand lifted, but stayed near his head, fingers still bent. "Why should you tell him the whole truth, if he doesn't? And, besides, it's not like we're meeting together behind his back…"

Chance leaned forward, lifting his legs up so he could hug them to his chest. "I don't know…Lying to Roxas doesn't seem fair…"

"If you don't mention it, it's not really a lie…"

"It's not the truth either…"

Sora hesitated. Then, he muttered, "I don't like the idea either. But I'm afraid of how Roxas will react. I want you two to stay together…" Sora smiled at him. "You two make a really nice couple, and it's obvious that he's good for you…" Chance leaned back in embarrassment. "Sides, I know I'm not Roxas, or…that other guy," he ended after a small pause. "I don't want to be…" He cocked his head to one side. "Can we still be friends?"

Chance started snickering. He lifted his hand and gave Sora a bop on the head. "Course we're still friends, idiot!" Sora closed his eyes at the impact, but he opened them, rubbing the spot, a small grin stretching across his face. The two looked out to the sky, content to be silent for a moment.

After that moment, however, Chance found that even the soothing sunset couldn't east his perturbed mind. Chance didn't just want to leave this moment at that, though. He didn't want all of this to fade away like this, into laughter. He wasn't done with Sora yet, much to his distaste. He wanted one more forbidden moment. Even if it meant he was openly cheating on Roxas. Sora was too good of a guy not to get a proper goodbye. Even if it was just a goodbye, Chance felt like, after all they had admitted to tonight, it was the least that they could do.

He leaned back, frowning slightly, arms supporting him. He turned to the brunette next to him. "…Sora?"

Sora looked back at him, with closed eyes and a grin on his face. "What?"

Chance was silent for a moment, lips pressing against each other. Sora opened his eyes and frowned at the expression on Chance's face. "Something bothering you?" Sora inquired.

"A little…" Chance scooted a little closer. "It just seems unfair to you that we finally have the guts to say it, but we don't say goodbye…" He looked into Sora's eyes with one half-closed. "I kinda feel like we should…"

"Kiss again?"

Chance blinked. "You know," Sora added. "A goodbye kiss. Just one more," he continued, seeing Chance's hesitation. He held up one finger. "Like this is the last time we'll ever be more than friends, and after that, we're done." He brushed his arms out as a sign of being finished. "We'll let things blow over, and everything can go back to normal…"

Chance stared at him. "You act like you've done this before…"

Sora closed his eyes, slightly humiliated. A small smile stretched across his face. "Actually…I did the same thing with Kairi a while ago…" He opened his eyes. "I know what you mean at how things seem unfinished, so…It's up to you." Letting out a small laugh, blushing lightly, he managed to exclaim, "I honestly think we should, but that's probably because I like kissing you…!" Chance snorted, letting his cheeks turn rosy. "But I also think that it's a good idea…" He moved closer. "Should we?"

Chance hesitated. The guilt inside of him was catching up to him. Pressing so close to Sora felt wrong, and he almost resented himself…But how could he leave a moment like this behind without saying a proper, 'Goodbye?'

In the end, he reached his final verdict.

"Yeah…"

They didn't wrap their arms around each other. They remained where they were, leaning back on their arms, legs dangled over the trunk. Their heads were the only things that moved, turning and leaning in to kiss one another. The small spark returned in his chest, but it was suppressed by the feeling of guilt. It was probably going to burn him inside for a very long time. This would have to come out eventually. They couldn't just kiss and never even mention it to Roxas. But, for the moment…maybe a secret would be okay. A little secret he couldn't tell Roxas, or Demyx, or even Zexion.

And, who knows, maybe this was just supposed to be a memory that should be witnessed by two, and be forgotten.

Yes. A forgotten memory.

That's all this should end up being.

He felt the guilt in Sora, too, for betraying his brother, even though it would never happen again. They both knew that this would never again happen. They could be friends. They could run up to each other and hug each other. They could get into tussles, they could link arms and skip to Oz…They could even hold hands every once in a while.

But there would be nothing more than friendship between them. It was better that way, and much easier. This kiss would be their last kiss. Anything following wouldn't count. It would be a dare, it would be a mistake, it would be a miscalculation…But it wouldn't be real. The only hope they felt was the hope that their feelings, which would never be returned, would fade.

They pulled apart, keeping the kiss shorter than the first one. For a moment, they stared into each other's faces. Silently, they reached an agreement. Chance stood up, walked to the waves, and stepped into them. When the water was up to his torso, he lifted his legs up, and began to swim back to the other shore. Sora sat on the tree, watching him go. He stared at Chance all the way till he reached the other side. Chance got out of the waves and looked back at Sora. Without smiling, he waved farewell to the boy. Sora returned his wave. Chance walked down the dirt path to his home without looking back. Sora's eyes followed him until he was out of sight. Then, they travelled to the sky, staring at the stars, which were slowly beginning to appear.

And the sun's setting was almost like a symbol that the two's relationship had come to an end.

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This chapter is a bit more dated and weird, but…I surprisingly REALLY like this one.

If you go onto my dA account, you can find the image I drew based off of this fanfiction. :)

…Chapter. Whatever you call it.

~Cat's Eye


	16. Dying

If any of you have gotten this far…  
>THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.<br>I'm not worth the time you put in. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 16: Dying**

It was getting worse. Day by day. He could just feel it building up inside his chest, shoving his other feelings aside like they weren't even there. He had pleaded for it to stop. He had prayed that this was just a phase. He hoped that it still was; that the build-up would be anti-climatic, go nowhere, and just fade.

He still loved Chance, so much that it hurt him to even think about his growing emotions for Namine.

Their recent kiss still flew through his head. The moments before he started dating Chance were also always in the back of his mind. Almost as much as he thought of Chance now, he thought of Namine. He wanted to be with her, their study periods lasting fifteen minutes longer than they should, just to spend time together, scrolling past Chance's name in his contacts to tell her 'Hello' every once in a while…

It hadn't even been two weeks since his kiss with Namine. If he was acting like this now, he didn't want to think about what Namine would be to him soon.

He picked up his phone, a nervous look crossing his face as he stared down at the familiar name in his contacts. It wasn't just him with an issue, either. Something was bothering Chance. It wasn't his problem with Treep, though that was already a predominant worry for the blonde. No, something else was bothering the mocha-eyed teen, too. He looked a little too guilty recently, as if he did something bad and didn't want to own up to it. Had Roxas not been doubting his own faith, he might've bothered to question the boy more.

But who was he to talk when a certain icy-blonde was constantly stuck in his head?

He shook his cranium, the spikes on top of his head flying back and forth. He couldn't lose this battle. He couldn't let his emotions win. He knew that, if he were to win, he'd win Namine, the girl of his dreams. With so much talent, grace, beauty, the perfect personality…Her adorable, quiet attitude, her shy air, her timid nature…

But winning her meant losing Chance, the perfect guy. Not the best looking, but that meant there was no competition. A down-right gorgeous body, the most friendly and kind disposition Roxas had ever seen…His little quirks, his enchanting eyes, his athletic ability…

Not to mention that if he let Chance go, there was nothing to stop the boy from trying to murder himself again. Absolutely nothing. And if they broke up, Roxas had a feeling that they couldn't just say they were taking a break. If they ended it…It would probably be over forever.

Chance was still unstable. Maybe if he was a bit sounder, and there was someone else for him, Roxas would be more willing to at least accept these feelings. However, so long as Chance was walking that thin line, Roxas couldn't, shouldn't, WOULDN'T let go. His heart still raced when he was near the boy, he felt whatever agony Chance felt, he missed him when he was only gone for an hour, his kisses still made the blonde feel high…

He pressed the 'Send' button and put the phone to his ear, hearing it ring only twice before a familiar voice rang in his ears.

"It's early…" a voice grumbled, almost sounding irritated. Roxas snorted, amused, and yet also getting a small, resilient jolt at the tone of his boyfriend's voice. It meant the boy was sleeping. Meaning his anxiety-caused insomnia wasn't keeping him awake. Even though they had been dating for over a month now, Roxas still couldn't get over the healing affects it had, even if it was something as small as Chance being able to sleep soundly most nights.

"We still on for the road-trip?" the blonde asked.

There was a pause, in which the boy was probably sitting up, fully roused. It didn't take much to get Chance awake. "I still dunno about it…We'd be ditching school, dude…" he muttered. Roxas felt his shoulders slump.

"You don't wanna go?" he whined.

"N-No, I want to! I just want to be sure that YOU want to go…!" Chance stammered quickly. Roxas smirked as he imagined the adorable, panicked expression on his face.

"Chance, I'm sure I want to go! I'm the one who suggested we go in the first place!" Roxas exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"Sure we have to drive all the way there?"

"Road trips are always fun!" Well, there was that. It was true, ditching away from school to spend the day driving in the car, cruising at their own speed, eating out, and screaming songs at the top of their lungs would be like a holiday in Roxas's eyes.

But, it also meant that he was spending a day miles and miles away from Namine, where it would be impossible for her to pass him in the hall, to tempt him further. He was hoping and praying and begging anything he could think of that, if he spent the day away from her and with, his crush would fade, and his love grow back to what it was meant to be.

"I dunno, is its rep really true, dude?"

"Chance, it's MORE than true!" Roxas exclaimed, almost skeptical. "Starlight Hill has been the hot-spot for star-gazers from all across the country! Twilight Town's New Moon nights have NOTHING on this!"

There was a small hiatus, in which Chance seemed to be thinking it over, mulling over his thoughts. Roxas bit his bottom lip. What if Chance decided they had to stay in school? What if he had to face Namine again? What if Chance insisted they go later, or worse, not at all?

A small laugh sounded on the other line, causing Roxas to jump. "…Why did you call me, dude, I'm a room away…!" the teen asked, amused. Roxas hesitated, the words processing in his mind. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling nervously.

"…Didn't think about that…" More laughter sounded from the other side of the line.

"Alright, well, we'd better get going before everyone else wakes up!" Roxas's spine became erect, eyes brightening at Chance's agreement. "Meet you in the hallway in a half hour!"

"Good plan!"

He hung up, his heart racing with adrenaline. Missing a day of school, spending the day with Chance, going on a road-trip to go star-gazing…What more could he possibly want?

Other than the obvious.

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Frowning, he looked himself up a down in the mirror, sighing. It was always the same outfit with him; his usual tan-and-black cargo pants, his standard gray, square shoes, some sort of long-sleeves shirt, and a zipper-up hoodie to go over it. Even today, when he tried to switch it up, all he ended up doing was throwing a short-sleeved tee over a long-sleeved shirt. The undershirt was red and black striped, the over-tee black, and his hoodie, a dark navy-purple. Though he wore a checkered belt, plus his armband and rings, he felt under-accessorized and unoriginal. He sighed. Hopefully, Chance would still like it…

Namine certainly never cared…

He shook his head, giving himself a small smack on the forehead. Groaning, he dragged his hand across his face, tugging at his lips, and finally resting his chin on his hand. He still had to work on that…He stared himself in the eye, seeing the concern and confliction reflecting back onto him. He couldn't afford to fall for her now. Maybe someday, but not today.

But he'd start fixing that today, for sure. Turning on his heels, he walked into the hallway. He opened his door, pushed it open, and closed it quietly, only to realize someone nearby was doing the exact same thing. He looked up to see Chance just backing out of his room. The blood stopped flowing through his veins, seeing as a certain organ of his forgot how to beat.

Chance wore a brown-patterned shirt underneath a magenta dress shirt, and over that, a brown coat with lighter colored seems striping it. Around his neck, he wore a green ascot, with pink spots. He wore light sea-green pants, his old Organization boots, and a new pair of arm-bands; they went down to his fingers, and were gray-and-pink striped. Roxas had to admit, though; his favorite part was the black-and-white checkered belt.

Chance looked up to see his date gawking at him, trying not to let the saliva in his mouth collect and fall over his lips. Chance looked himself over, then looked back up at Roxas, a distressed look on his face. "It's that bad…?" he squeaked, bending down in defeat, reaching for the door handle. Roxas shook his head and proceeded over, wrapping his arms around Chance and pressing himself close.

"Actually, you look so handsome, I feel like I'm the one who's underdressed now…" Roxas murmured, leaning over to give Chance a small peck on the lips. Chance closed his eyes, returning it for a moment, before he pulled away.

"We better get going…" Roxas smiled in reply. He took Chance's hand, and the two proceeded as quietly as they could down the hallway.

Trying desperately to keep his anxieties inside.

He didn't say anything. He just kept walking, a mask of a smile on his face, feeling a small pit of despair begin to form in his stomach. Ever since he had kissed Namine, this was only the third time they've kissed. His thoughts trailed back to his moment with Namine, the small contact they had made on the lips. Which one had more spark? Which had meant more?

He didn't even know anymore.

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They stepped into the car, sighing loudly. "Least we don't have to be quiet anymore, dude!" he exclaimed.

Roxas let out a small chuckle. He looked down at the clock. "Five-fifteen…" he murmured, letting out a small yawn. "It'll be worth it!" he exclaimed, turning to Chance. The teen smiled in return.

"Alright, well, let's save the music blaring to a little later!" Chance exclaimed. Roxas giggled slightly.

They turned out the parking lot and began their extremely long drive. Onto the highway, and straight for the longest time. It was absolutely empty on the extremely long stretch of pavement. It was wonderful. For some reason, the emptiness was beautiful; it made everything seem surreal. They felt like the last two people on the planet, and though they should've been bothered by this…It didn't really bother them. It actually felt strangely good to be the last two on the planet. Maybe because, if they were the last two, they only had each other to focus on. Forever…

Even still, Chance wouldn't let Roxas blast his IPod until six in the morning.

And from then until eleven, the music blared in their ears, switching genres faster than the car drove, one moment being techno, the next a heavy metal, a love ballad, then hardcore rock. Roxas felt hoarse from screaming so much, singing exceptionally confidently whenever Jesse McCartney came on, surprisingly enough. But he didn't care. This was the most fun he'd had in ages.

By the time they started feeling hungry for lunch, the highway was flooded with cars again, people attempting to reach their destinations at a reasonable hour. But, on the bright side, they had avoided the traffic. They took an exit that was less than thirty minutes from their destination to drop by a restaurant, to get a nice lunch.

While sitting at their booth, waiting for their food, Chance's phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up. His eyes augmented as he took in the number. Roxas leaned over to look at it as Chance showed him. It was Zexion. Roxas shrugged.

"It's just about lunch time now…" he pointed out. Chance nodded. He took the call, putting it on speaker so that Roxas could hear it.

"Hey, there, Zex!"

"Chance? Where are you?"

Chance, turning the phone to Roxas, let the blonde smugly answer. He smirked, crooning, "A hundred or so miles away from school!"

"Roxas? What the hell? Where are you guys?"  
>Chance shrugged as if Zexion could actually physically see him. "Clearly, we aren't sick, so there is no reason to worry!"<p>

"We'll be back home tomorrow!" Roxas exclaimed, waving his hand at the phone.

"What? Tomorrow, but—?"

"We're ditching school, Zexion, what more do you need to know?" Roxas exclaimed. He reached over and closed Chance's phone. The two stared at each other for a moment. Then they burst out laughing.

"That was mean…" Chance remarked. Roxas rolled his eyes, smirking slyly.

"Hey, this is just about me and you…" he muttered, indicating himself and the boy next to him with his thumb or pointer finger. "No one else has to interfere…" His thoughts briefly traveled to the ice-eyed girl, so far away, in another district…_Especially you…_

Chance smirked, and looked like he was going to say more, but their food came at that moment; Chance's All-American Burger, and Roxas's steak and cheese sub.

Focusing on their food rather than each other, there was very little small talk between the two. Still, it was a nice enough time, laughing, swapping more stories they somehow have never told before, keeping an eye on the time…It was nice to just chill out. Roxas didn't think much of it at first. But, as the lunch continued, it began bothering him bit by bit.

They were having lunch together. But, it just felt like they were just…just friends again. They were close, true, they were taking ridiculous pictures with each other, they didn't flinch at physical contact…But they used to hold hands all the time, used to just randomly stop what they were doing to give each other small smooches on the cheeks, Eskimo kissing…

He shook his head. Taking a chunk out of his sub, he dismissed the thoughts. It was a complicated time, him unsure of his feelings for Namine, Chance going through…whatever ailed him today…Wasn't it just natural that they both needed a bit of a break? They weren't neglecting each other; they were just going easy on showing their affection to each other, publically or privately.

He almost caught himself wishing Namine was there to hold him in Chance's place.

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They traveled to the hill next, which wasn't too far from where they were. Roxas glanced down at Chance's watch. It was almost one, but it wouldn't be getting dark until six or seven. They had…one, two, three, four…Five hours to waste before they had to start up the hill. They sat in the car for a few moments, wondering what to do. Chance, in the meantime, glanced around to see what was near the parking lot. His eyes locked on a field nearby, to where a bunch of kids were playing baseball. He couldn't have looked more eager if a pair of ears sprouted out of his head, pricked and ready. Roxas looked over, then traced Chance's gaze to the field. Smirking, he turned back to Chance. "You want to see if you can join—?"

"YES," Chance proclaimed excitedly. Roxas snickered, opening the door.

"Let's head over, jock…" he muttered, watching Chance struggle with his seatbelt, itching to get out and play ball. The teen looked like he was ready to just bold across the dirty parking lot and join the odd group, but forced himself to walk beside Roxas, his hand in the peachier boy's hand, restraint hinted in his steps. Roxas snorted, amused.

They got there, feeling all the eyes turn onto them. One of the boys with a glove stared at them with widening eyes, a grin stretching across his face. "Alright, we got enough for two full teams and a sub!"

Roxas shook his head, holding his hand up. "I don't really play…" Chance looked over at him, a little surprised.

"You're not gonna play?" he asked, eye wide. Roxas hesitated. Then, he grinned back at Chance.

"I'll sit on the side-lines until someone wants to come off the field, ya?" he offered. Chance looked between the team and his boyfriend, as though conflicted on whether or not they'd actually be able to play with one another. None of the other boys seemed tired yet, nor did they look like the type to take breaks. Roxas gave Chance's hand a squeeze.

"GO," he practically commanded. "I'll be fine watching you from the side-lines!" Though Chance hesitated a moment longer, he nodded, eyes lighting up in excitement. He looked like he was about to lean down to kiss Roxas, but was stopped by a glove hurled into his stomach.

"Stop making faces at each other and get on the field!" a black-haired, freckled boy exclaimed. "By the way, my name's Taylor!"

Chance beamed. He quickly tore off his jacket and his scarf, plus the suspenders. He shoved the glove over his hand and introduced himself as he trotted around. Roxas sat on the bench next to Chance's discarded clothes, watching the boy's introducing themselves. Then, it was time to play ball.

The game lasted for a long time, and without a watch, Roxas wasn't exactly sure how long. He kept half an eye on the sky, to keep a look-out for stars, and half an eye on his date, watching him catch the familiar white ball, tossing it to the others on his team, swinging the bat, slamming it across the field…He sighed, watching the boy's powerful legs propel his body forward.

There almost seemed to be an apparition running beside him at times, a slender, feminine figure, light-colored hair flowing behind her, her gym clothing flowing off of her skinny frame in an unflattering way. She panted beside his date, her body moving adroitly, almost flowing from base to base…

He shook his head, the concern welling up even more in his chest. He couldn't help it. He was miles away from Namine, but the girl still had a venomous grip on his mind. He almost wanted to call Chance over, to hold him close; to remind himself…But the teen was having so much fun, Roxas felt guilty about disturbing him. His eyes were wide, and not once was there a visibly miserable look on his face.

He sat in silence till almost four o'clock, flashing smiles at the boys, and especially at his boyfriend, but really not talking. His focus was on keeping a certain girl out of his mind.

Chance trotted back, dusting off the small amount of dirt his outfit had sustained. Panting, he lifted his coat and scarf, throwing them over his shoulder, but not putting them on yet. He spent a few moments fiddling with his suspenders before he got it on, then turned to Roxas, letting out a happy breath.

"Sorry…" Roxas turned his head to the side, eyes on Chance.

"Sorry what?"

"Well, I was having a blast, dude, and you've just been sitting here for the longest time…!" Chance exclaimed guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. Roxas smirked, reaching down to grip Chance's hand.

"Hey, you do all the nice things for me. Let me suffer for a little bit for your sake…" He hid his wince as he realized how agonizing those three hours had been, if only because of his uncalled-for hallucinations. Chance missed any expression change on the teen, smiling amicably at him.

"So…" He looked up at the sky. The sun was barely starting to set, not even at the tree line. Turning back to Roxas, he inquired, "What do you wanna do? We don't gotta be up there for another hour or so, right?"

Roxas shrugged slightly, eyes shutting for a moment. "Maybe we should just take a walk…" Opening his eyes again, he smirked up at the teen, teasing, "Maybe we'll run into some guys playing basketball…!"

Chance let out a small laugh, gripping Roxas's hand tighter. "I won't bore you this time, dude…" As they began to amble off in no apparent direction, he asked, "Ever had one of those moments where you looked back at it and thought, 'What the heck did I just do…?'"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, the other day, Zexion and I thought it would be funny if…"

Their conversations distracted Roxas, allowing him to relax into the date, only thinking about school when he thought of all the work his friends were doing, and how he was getting a free day. He snickered at that thought, then turned back to Chance, his brain melting as the teen's adoring mocha eye stared into his pair.

By the time the hour had passed, it was getting rather dark outside. They found their way back, picking random streets that looked familiar until they finally made it back to the path. It was dimly lit with streetlamps every fifteen or so feet. They walked down the pat-down, worn road in silence, Roxas clinging affectionately to Chance's arm, the grin on his face refusing to be erased.

They got to the hill, looking around. Surprisingly, it was alone. It appeared there weren't any other couples who felt that this magical place was truly as a romantic spot as it was. They looked up to the sky, Chance before Roxas. Time seemed to stop for a moment. The sky was a dark navy blue, so close to black, but not quite. The stars glittered in the sky, looking more breath-taking than diamonds lying across a velvet display. The light from the stars was silver, almost feeling warm on their cool skins. If an artist had been out there that night, he would've thrown his paints down in frustration, unable to get his stars to shine like the actual lights in the sky?

Their steps trance-like, they made their way to the center of the hill, and sat in the grass, staring out at the stars. Chance leaned back, letting out a small yawn, then slowly lowered himself onto his back, his hands comfortably behind his head. Roxas was on the ground, lying beside him, a few moments later. He didn't snuggle up close to him, but wiggled closer until, if he leaned over any further, they would be touching.

"It's just so…beautiful…" he murmured.

"You were right…" Chance murmured. He reached a hand down and put it on Roxas's hand, giving it a small squeeze. "It was worth it to come…"

Roxas smirked. He looked up at the stars, remembering, a half a year ago, they had been laying underneath a different starry sky, cuddled against each other, his feelings wishing they could burst out…

Why couldn't it be like then? Things had been complicated then. They were complicated now. Things had come naturally then. They still came naturally now. He had wanted to admit it then. He had wanted to admit it now. And at one of the state's most romantic locations…Wouldn't this be a great time to admit what he felt?

He turned his head to Chance, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth wide, eyes vibrant, and a smile on his face. This time, he could do it. This time, the words wouldn't die. There were no excuses. There was nothing to fear. There was nothing to hide. Those words could finally…

A pretty face flashed through his mind, smiling sadly at him, as she had the day he had turned her down for Chance. A pretty face he had kissed.

The words caught in his throat. His wide-open smile turned into a slowly-closing frown, his eyes dulling. He turned away, eyes half-closed. Pain and guilt racked his sides, slamming at the ribs encasing them. He tried not to make it obvious, but something he did must've alerted his date. Chance turned to him, his face perplexed and concerned.

"Roxas? You okay?"

The blonde didn't answer for a few moments, battling with horror as well now. He shook his head, and snuggled closer to Chance, resting his head on the boy's shoulder, as if the touch would calm him down. "Yes…" he lied. He didn't want Chance to find out. He knew that Chance didn't believe him when he denied something being wrong. But Chance…Chance just…

He couldn't say it.

He wanted to. But he couldn't. He loved the boy. Truly, he did. He wanted to be there. He wanted to help him. He wanted to be the one who made the light come back to the teen's eye and stay there forever. He wanted to bring him back to life; to restore him to his prime. He had thought of nothing else for such a long time, even in death.

But Namine was there. He still had to admit that he had kissed Namine. He had to all-out tell Chance he deliberately cheated on him. It made him sick to his stomach, just thinking about what he had done.

If only that had been the only thing stopping him.

Namine was, too. He had barely been able to stop thinking about her all day. Only when he was fully distracted did the graceful female leave his mind. Her teasing, pale lips, her adorable features, her weak appearance…It was always on his mind. He didn't want to be falling for another. But, what if he couldn't stop it?

That wasn't the worst, however. The worst was, despite loving Chance, despite desperately wanting to save him, despite all he's ever said, ever done, ever wanted to do…Despite all this, it was finally too late. What he thought he'd have all the time in the world to admit faded before he could even truly try.

He loved Chance.

He just didn't feel like he was IN love with Chance anymore.

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'_I…I can't believe I actually almost did that…_' Shakily, he held the notebook down, staring at the paper with frightened, mocha eyes. He looked at his arms. Vibrations. They were vibrating. Not good not good, not good. He dared to glance over to the rug nearby, almost unable to face the shining, silver blade lying harmlessly across it. It was clean. As it had been for weeks. And it wasn't freshly clean.

But it had been a little too close for comfort.

The memory was far too fresh in his mind…

_Slamming the door shut. Hiding off in his room. Trying not to let the tears fall down his face. Making sure no one else was home; not even Roxas, who had left to go find Axel. Finally reassuring himself before letting out a scream of frustration. Those were his first memories after Roxas had left him with a small goodbye kiss._

_ But, to him, it had barely felt like anything. A spark lit up in his stomach as usual. The normal rush came to his heart. He felt like he was floating for a few seconds._

_ But the fire didn't light. His heart didn't nearly stop. He wasn't so far up in the clouds, he felt high._

_ The feelings were dying. This wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. No. His feelings for Treep were supposed to die, his feelings for Roxas growing…Not the other way around…!_

_ He trudged up to his room, wiping his nose and his eyes on his sleeves. His non-beating heart just hung in his chest, deadweight. His arteries felt like they were full of pain rather than blood, and just lifting a finger caused him to feel sore everywhere. The old depression he was all-too-familiar with was coming back over him. It was all he could do to manage himself to the door. Once he was in his room, the door closed, and he just fell to his floor, not bothering to brace himself. His face took most of the impact, but he didn't care. He tried to focus more on the pain from his bleeding nose, to distract himself from the other pain._

_ It wasn't working well enough._

_ His mind just kept going back to Treep. The guilt just wouldn't stop. "I can't…I can't…" he moaned over and over again. "No, no, I love Roxas, please…!" He wasn't in love with Treep, he wasn't in love with Treep, he wasn't in love with the bastard who all but tore his heart out and made it stop beating…_

_ Roxas was so much better to him, he was so much better for him, he was always there, he put up with everything, he was kind, sweet, caring, he tried so hard…Why couldn't he be enough? He had loved the blonde before, but now…!_

_ He just wanted this to be over…! It wasn't fair…! He just wanted all this confusion, pain, everything, just all of it, STOP…!_

_ Instincts he had repressed for a while suddenly came back to life. He stood up, his face in his hands, and plodded over to the dresses, trying to hide in denial, which wasn't working out too well for him. He walked over to his dresser and reached a particular draw. It was slightly different from the rest, as it had a fresher coat of paint on it than the rest, and a few stained blotches on it. He opened it, and reached for one of the slender, silver objects in it._

_ He fell back to the floor, on his knees. Slowly, he started removing one of his armbands, still sniffing in angst. His vision was blurred by the tears streaming down his face, his mind clouded from the intense pain on his face. He really couldn't force himself anymore, could he? He couldn't go on lying. It was really happening…!_

_ He let the black and white band fall to the floor. He looked down at his wrist—it was finally starting to heal properly—choking on a sob. He raised the razor, aimed…_

_ He had almost started to bring him down when it struck him what he was doing._

_ He let out another piercing scream, dropping the razor, and moving away as fast as physically possible, his one-working eye wide with terror. His breath quickened, and for several moments, he just sat on the floor, breathing heavily in horror._

_ He had almost cut himself._

_ He promised Roxas he wouldn't._

_ And he almost did…_

He couldn't even bring himself to write about it. His hand was twitching too much to even get a sentence down. He just let himself fall to the floor, as far away from the razor as possible. The tears wouldn't stop. The agony in his chest kept rising, until he almost wished he had allowed himself to cut.

First, he starts doubting his feelings for Roxas. Then, he deliberately cheats on him. Now, not only is he almost convinced that he doesn't love him anymore, he almost cut himself, something he promised himself, time and time again, that he'd never do so long as he had Roxas. How pathetic could you get?

He hugged himself close, curled up in a ball. It was their first little mishap. The first time they had ever had problems. He had known in the beginning that Treep would be hard to get over. But he never would've guessed how hard it would've been. He should just wait out these problems, right? First time's always the roughest! He just…had to wait for things to get better…!

Roxas would come around. So would he. He'd admit to Roxas he had cheated on him in time. They could get through this. He could reawaken his feelings. It could happen…

He couldn't give up now, right? He had come so far…! He had nothing before this…At least this was something!

Over and over again, his mind kept motivating him to keep this up, just for a bit longer, hold out, not let something like this die…

But he didn't know how much longer he'd want to keep this relationship up if he felt nothing.

And these problems wouldn't go away overnight. They'd keep coming back. Apparently, contrary to what he had believed, not all the time in the world would get rid of his feelings for Treep. He couldn't just love someone else and hope his feelings for that person were greater. Or at least…he couldn't do that with Roxas.

He managed to sit himself up, hanging his head in his hand, sighing. "Roxas…" He looked up at the ceiling. He wanted this to last forever at one point.

Now all he could do is speculate over when it would end.

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Chance is starting to slip again…

~Cat's Eye


	17. Dead and Gone

As per usual, I'm out of stuff to say.

Wonder how many of you know how this is going to end~

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 17: Dead and Gone**

_Today's the day…_As he adjusted his arm band and rings, he sighed sadly, eyes glazed over, with only a small light in the back to suggest he wasn't completely hopeless.

This was the last day. His last attempt to bring back the old spark in the relationship. It was December 6th, 2009. The day of the soccer game Chance had been waiting for, for so long, just begging to see the Eastern Tigers and the Polar Hornets duke it out in the Championship game.

Today HAD to work out. If today didn't work out, Roxas wasn't sure if he could continue this. It was driving him crazy; everyday he was with Chance was a day he wasn't with Namine, but every time he thought of Namine, he reminded himself how she wasn't Chance. He just wanted everything to clear out, for him to realize that Chance was the one that he loved, that he was just being a paranoid little idiot, that there was nothing to worry about…

Today had to be perfect. He didn't dare think about what would happen if it wasn't.

He looked himself over in the mirror, unsure of himself as usual. Chance seemed to enjoy his taste of fashion, but…Something just seemed missing for some reason. He had on a white, collared shirt, with a red-and-plaid, open vest over it. He wore his checkered armband, tie, sneakers, and black and white rings, plus black skinny jeans.

On one hand, he looked decent enough. He had never been over-confident about his looks, but he assumed that he did something with himself in the morning that Chance found attractive. The checkers of his outfit, he felt, expressed his personality and individuality. It was an outfit that seemed like it was him, and no one else.

Then again, they were going to a soccer game, was a collared shirt too much, and the checkers and the plaid would clash, wouldn't they, they were two completely different patterns, wouldn't they cancel out, what if he didn't look good, what if this was all in his head, was that a zit on his nose, he couldn't have that today…!

He sighed, unhappy. He could be here for hours, and not be able to find the right outfit for today.

He almost grabbed his checkered belt and hat, but decided against it. He didn't need to overdo the checkers. He snatched up a deep blue jacket and striding over to his door a second later. Just before he reached for the handle, he paused, drawing back his hand. He took in a deep breath, and let it out as another, giant sigh. This was it…He was blowing today out of proportion, really. They could always fix things, right?

…Even so, today was important. He reached for the handle, swallowing, and forcing the butterflies in his stomach to calm down.

He stepped out the door, only to get a face-full of teal fabric. "Oh! Sorry…!" a voice called out, bubbling over with excitement. Roxas lifted his head and looked up to find that the familiar tattooed eye was staring down at him, his exhilaration hard to hide. Before the information could fully process, Chance was already wrapping his arms around him, and rocking him back and forth, trying to keep himself earth-bound when his head clearly was up on the clouds.

"CHAMPIONSHIP!" he called out, as if he didn't remember that it was still only seven in the morning, and that everyone else was probably trying to sleep. Roxas started giggling as the boy almost lifted him off the ground, elated.

"Chance, calm down, we still have to get there…!" he exclaimed. He pulled away, looking down at Chance's outfit. He stiffened a frown. Loose, long-sleeved shirt, armbands, teal sweatshirt, blue jeans, bland, brown-and-white sneakers…He subconsciously glanced at himself. Not quite over-dressed, but maybe what he was wearing was a little much…

Noticing this, Chance lifted his hand and ruffled the teen's hair. "You look fine…" he murmured in a reassuring tone. He tilted his head and gave the shorter teen a kiss on the forehead. His heart rate picked up again. Smiling, he looked Chance in the eye, trying not to make his relief evident. _He still makes me feel this way…_This was going good…

"Well, let's go, the stadium's not gonna bring itself here, dude!" Chance exclaimed.

"Yeah, and all the people in this house aren't gonna get back to sleep if you keep shouting out…!" Roxas teased. Chance shook his head, too excited to be brought down by a comment like that. He snatched his larger, peachier hand and practically began dragging him to his car.

"Come on, Roxas!" he managed in a quieter tone, though no less vivacious. Roxas smirked, and kept pace with him, if only to keep his arm in its socket. His heart was still beating quickly.

This was good. Today would work…Today would work out just fine…

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_So far…So good…_He thought to himself. The trip downstairs had consisted of giggles and snickers, looking back at each other, stuck in that silence where, for one reason or another, you start laughing hysterically, but had to keep quiet because others were sleeping. It continued out the door, all the way to the car, Chance climbing into the driver's seat, and Roxas climbing into the passenger, where he felt bold enough while he was climbing into the car to 'accidentally' fall into Chance, kissing him coyly on the cheek. Chance's only response was a bright smile, a duck of the head…And a cheek kiss in return.

He tried to keep his doubts down, like the thoughts that they should've kissed by now. Or that they should've held each other close. Or that he had yet to lose himself in Chance's eye, and Chance vice versa. He focused on the holding hands and the cheek kisses. They couldn't build this back up from what it had been. They had to start somewhere small. Right?

He didn't ponder for long on being right or not. He focused on Chance, keeping up the conversation in the car ride, laughing, quelling his doubts, if only for a moment.

After telling a joke and letting the hilarity sink in, Roxas just stared out the window, looking up at the sky. It was such a lovely shade of blue today, the clouds looking whiter than usual, standing out even further. It almost was as if someone had taken a sheet of bright blue paper and pasted cotton balls all over it in patterns. One of them looked like a rabbit, hoping across the sky at a relatively slow pace. One looked like a dragon, sleeping in a cave, fire flaring from its nostrils. And one looked like a bust of a very charming-looking young woman, with luxurious, long hair, a flawless face, a petite form, gorgeous smile…And the sky seemed to be the exact color of her attractive eyes…

He almost smashed his face into the window as he jumped. Chance's head whipped over, looking over at the boy with concern. "Roxas?" He jolted, realizing his eyes weren't on the road, and immediately looked back, remaining tense, and repetitively stealing glances at the antsy boy.

Roxas pulled his head back, clutching his nose. His face might not have hit the glass, but his nose suffered a decent impact. "Owww…" he moaned under his breath. He lifted his hands away from his face.

"Is it bleeding? Broken?" Chance fretted, anxiously trying to keep his gaze ahead.

"No…I-I'm fine…" Roxas managed. He gave his head a little shake, and sent Chance a partially-pained smile. "See? Good as new!" he attempted to exclaim.

The look crossing Chance's face showed that he didn't quite believe him, but traffic was picking up, and he had to focus on the road. Roxas sighed in relief, more of Chance not pressing him further than the fact that his nose wasn't damaged. He kept his eyes trained on the cars ahead, trying to push that girl out of his mind.

Deep down inside, though, in a dark corner where things he wasn't willing to admit lay, he knew that it was no use.

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Out of the car and into the crowded parking lot was their next move. Roxas immediately took Chance's hand, desperately clinging to that small spark in his chest. It was kind of hard, though, seeing as Chance's attention seemed to be everywhere except for on him. He craned his neck in every direction, eyes wide, the stadium clearly impressing him and rising to his standards. He pointed out this or that to Roxas, to show he hadn't completely forgotten the boy was there…But the grip on his hand was loose, as if he would just nonchalantly pull it away any second now to go dashing off.

Roxas admired his enthusiasm. But the pit in his stomach was growing.

He tried to pay attention to Chance's ramblings, but what he might've once listened to on end suddenly seemed to bore him. Soccer wasn't really his sport; he preferred baseball, or fencing, or just plain patrolling around, swinging a Keyblade over his head, if that could be considered a sport. He knew Chance was passionate about this, but…He just couldn't get into it.

The pit kept growing.

He forced himself to remain calm. Little speed bump. That was all this was. They'd be over it and laughing at in, in just a few week's time. He was sure. If today didn't work out, he'd have tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day…and the next day.

He tightened his grip on Chance's hand, who looked over at him in surprise. Roxas looked up at him, frowning guiltily. Surprisingly, Chance's tender look came back over his face, and he too tightened his grip on Roxas's hand. Roxas felt his face light up, an 'O' of surprise replacing the frown on his lips. He returned Chance's smile, and continued to let the boy lead him around the area, looking for their seats and a decent place to get food.

He couldn't let this go yet. He just couldn't.

"So, where are we seated again?" Roxas asked, a little perplexed as to what was where. Chance snorted in amusement.

"You bought the tickets, dude, you think you would know…!" he teased. Roxas scowled at him in mock anger.

"I don't know much about your fancy-shmancy stadiums, with their huge crowds, and multiple seats, and confound concession stands…!" Roxas grumbled, pretending to wave a cane over his hand, imitating an elderly, grouchy man. Chance let out a few laughs at this. Leaning over, he looked around the stadium, and pointed down in the direction they were traveling in, about five or six sections away.

"Right over there. See those guys in the orange and blue?" he asked. Roxas replied with a nod. "They're the team we're sitting behind."

"The Eastern Tigers…!" Roxas exclaimed smugly, feeling proud of himself for remembering the team name. He was rewarded with a pat on the head.

"Good job, Roxy!" Chance praised. Roxas felt his heart skip a little. _Roxy…_His pet name. This was a good sign; this was a good sign…

It may have taken some time to get there, but it was still at least an hour till game-time. Feeling their stomach rumble, they went up one of the stands nearby and got a soda to split, a pretzel for Chance, and a bucket of popcorn for Roxas. For a split second, Roxas almost snatched up two straws, so they could both drink at the same time, staring into each other's faces, doing that cute little silent laugh, looking down embarrassed, only to look back up again…

And yet for some reason, that idea didn't appeal to him. He shrugged it off, grabbing one straw instead. Neither of them were germaphobes, so why should he get two? It was a bit wasteful.

It was only when he got back to Chance, linking his arm with him so he wouldn't spill the soda or his popcorn, did he realize that he had just blown off that opportunity. Losing interest; definitely a bad sign. If it weren't for the fact that he was engaging Chance in another conversation, he might've sighed sadly, allowing a downcast expression to cover his face.

They decided to wait in their seats till game-time, Chance eager to watch the two teams stretch out and practice before the game. They traveled slowly down to their seats, careful not to let their food fall from their hands, or, in Roxas's case, their drink as well. They did the awkward, 'excuse me, pardon me' dance to get to their seats as they passed the few people waiting for the game to start on the way to their seats. Finally, they sat in their seats, Roxas putting his food in the cup holders, while Chance ate the rest of his pretzel quickly, then trotting off to throw away the wrapper. Roxas sat there, waiting for him to get back, staring at the players. He got this odd sensation, adding to the pit in his stomach, that he didn't really want to be here.

But it was for Chance…he was doing this for Chance. That made it worth it.

Chance was back a few moments later, looking like he was up on a cloud. If there was anything bothering him what-so-ever, it was swept away in this moment. Besides, Chance had always been better at hiding in plain sight if he felt the need to. Roxas tried to imitate him, though he had a feeling that some of his smiles almost looked like grimaces.

"This is so exciting…!" Chance squeaked as he sat back down. Roxas snorted, amused by the teen's almost-flamboyant enthusiasm. He pressed himself close to Chance, sighing. He felt his heart rate climb again; he almost forced it to go even faster, to match what he was thinking. Chance was still the number one person in his life. He still loved Chance so much. This was all that mattered. These little moments of pressing close to him were what this was all about. Little things that add up to big things. This was what he was here for; his moment.

That moment ended quickly as Chance leaned forward, almost as if he had been unaware of Roxas falling onto him. His eye was huge as he stared down at a tan-skinned player on the Tigers. "Did you see what he did with the ball there…?" he exclaimed, as if Roxas would understand. He leaned back in his seat in awe. "Dude, I gotta learn that trick…!"

He missed the completely hurt, and almost withering look that Roxas gave him. Why was getting Chance's attention so hard right now? Was it just the fact that this was the championship game and that Chance's passion was soccer? Or…Were they really falling apart?

And did he even want to know which was the reason by now?

_I wish Namine was here…_

_ But I don't…_

_ But I do._

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The game started pretty soon after they first took their seats. Roxas watched with limited zeal. It wasn't that he wasn't having a good time. But he had probably given Chance too much credit; today, he had felt, Chance wouldn't be able to pay attention to the game, since he was paying so much attention to Roxas. Today was supposed to be the day they cuddled back into what they were.

But Chance honestly seemed more interested in staring at the game than gazing at him. He knew he shouldn't be too stung by this. The game was important to Chance; he should respect that. He should be able to tolerate the fact that Chance was more interested in a bunch of men running around kicking each other and a ball than to him, his boyfriend. He should tolerate the fact that, just because he had spent the money on these tickets, doesn't mean that he gets to be thanked for all eternity. Just because he expected everything doesn't mean he should've expected so much.

Still, a glance every once in a while, a small kiss on the cheek, a few stares…Would that be too much to ask for? Especially since he had nothing other than the soccer game to distract him from the certain someone on his mind, and the game wasn't doing a very good job having him forget it…

Still, the tension in the air definitely made his adrenaline pump. Tigers, to Hornets, to Tigers, a shot at the goal…miss. The crowd sighs, disappointment and relief filling the air. The players sweat ran twice as hard as they pushed themselves to the edge, both sides determined not to lose. He wasn't constantly on the edge of his seat, like Chance, but he was definitely gripping the sides of his chair to stay steady.

Still, Namine wouldn't leave him alone. He shook his head, he gripped Chance's hand, he pressed close to him (when the multi-colored-haired teen wasn't so distracted)…She was always there. And he couldn't help wishing that she was actually there, in front of him.

And he couldn't help thinking of Namine without thinking about his instant with her in the math room. Which he still needed to Chance, before he could tell him that he loved him, which he didn't know if he could do or not, which made him worry even more, and made that pit grow.

Finally, the Tiger's player, number eighteen, snagged the ball, towards the end of the first half. He dashed through the crowd of Hornets, passing it to four, who passed it to fifty-nine, back to eighteen, back to four, to eighteen, who lost it to number ninety on the Hornets, only to have number eighteen of the Tigers snag it back. He was making a run for the goal…! Even Roxas leaned forward, eyes vibrant, silently urging him on.

He could hear Chance next to him, practically shaking, repeating, "Come on, come on, come on…!"

Eighteen was drawing closer. The defensemen tried to over-take him.

It was too late.

The ball was flying through the air right before they got to him.

The goalie dived to save it.

The ball sailed over him.

It landed smack in the right-hand corner of the goal, an instant after the kick fired.

In an instant, all of the fans of the team represented by the striped feline leapt to their feet in a fit of joy. The cheers in the stadium were deafening, the cries piercing the ears of those who mourned the goal as a loss for their team. Chance was among them, shouting, throwing his hands up in the air, letting out a cry of bliss, his eye closed with the same amount of glee. Roxas was also on his feet, applauding the other team, shouting out, trying to match Chance's energy. The black-haired boy whirled around and wrapped his arms around Roxas, pulling him close tightly. Roxas felt surprise ripple through his body at the sudden closeness.

"THEY GOT A GOAL!" Chance blurted. Roxas buried his face in Chance's chest, feeling his heart skip a beat at the contact. He wrapped his arms around Chance, letting himself be tossed left and right by the over-elated boy, as if he were a rag-doll.

The moment ended far too soon, the game coming back on. As spontaneously as he had wrapped his arms around Roxas, Chance pulled away. Roxas didn't complain, didn't pull him back in, didn't even show his evident disappointment as Chance's attention went back to the game. The pit in his stomach (quelled for the few seconds in their embrace) jumped back up and proceeded where it was. He knew that there was no sense denying it forever. But couldn't he prolong it just till the end of the game, when the Tigers won?

The pit only grew as half-time came around. Chance said he had to go to the bathroom, and left, only the small hand squeeze he gave to Roxas any indication that there was still a spark between them. Roxas sighed, and leaned back in his chair. He felt more alone now than he had before. The thoughts of Namine gave him brief seconds of comfort, but only till he remembered what she was to him, and what Chance was to him.

He just stared up the stairs, expecting Chance to be back in just a minute or so.

The minute passed. That's fine; he'd give Chance another minute.

Five minutes passed. He kept telling himself, _Just a minute longer…_The memory of the race through the alleyway made him cringe. _What could he have gotten himself into here…?_ Wasn't his friendly companion, who was a Tiger but supportive of the Hornets, wouldn't he be safe here?

He kept himself from racing up the stairs to the men's room. Had he known that this might've been a helpful move, he might've thought more about running up…

Chance came back almost towards the end of half time, far longer than it took anyone to go to the bathroom. Roxas glanced at his wrists. Nothing out of the ordinary under his armbands. Besides, wouldn't Chance have had to have smuggled something in, or find something? And he did promise…

He did observe, however, that Chance had to wipe his eyes several times on his way down here, and he could've sworn that the edges were puffy, and the lightest shade of rose.

They continued to watch the game once it started again. The pit in his stomach was starting to smart.

It only got worse as he felt Chance slipping further into the game. As he was, trying to escape the pit in his stomach. Even though he knew that the players wouldn't help him forget her any better than anything else could.

It was all just building up. He knew. He just didn't want to know.

The Hornets now had the ball. It was evident what they were going for. And, from the looks of it, they'd get it.

A quick dash through, only two or three passes.

A clear, rapid shot, right above the goalie's head.

More cheers erupted from the stadium. But not from where Chance was sitting. He hung his head and sighed, almost as if he were pained. Roxas, sympathetic, and pretty disappointed himself, gripped his hand, and gave it a small squeeze. Chance drew his eyes away from the ground, and looked Roxas in the eye, the fire still lit. He managed a small smirk. Roxas returned this gesture with a warm, encouraging smile. Chance started to ease himself closer, his eyes starting to close. Roxas, sensing what was coming, closed his eyes, and leaned in slightly, making Chance chase him. His heart tensed, and the background noise faded as time seemed to stop. _This is the moment…_

Suddenly, everyone in the crowd started shouting. Chance's eyes flew open, and he looked back at the field. One of the Hornets' players and a Tiger were trying to get in a tussle, the referees the only thing keeping them back. Chance watched with renewed enthusiasm, occasionally adding his own voice to the hollers.

Roxas opened his eyes slowly, confused as to what was taking Chance so long. When he saw that, once again, Chance's attention was back on the game, he felt his spirits plummet further. He knew he really shouldn't feel such a petty feeling as jealous, especially for a soccer game. But he couldn't help but think that Chance was still paying more attention to the game than he was to Roxas.

It wasn't long before the Tiger was thrown off the field, and the Hornet given a yellow card (to which Chance uttered a small string of curses just under his breath, and just in earshot of Roxas). The Tigers didn't suffer much from the loss of one player, but they suffered enough to let up another goal in the last ten minutes. A goal they couldn't make up.

The Polar Hornets won the Championship, two to one. A cloud of sadness hung over Chance's head, but he did his best not to let the cheering Hornet's fans get to him, vainly trying to hide his disappointment. Roxas could see through his smile. Pretty much the same way Roxas's grin couldn't hide everything.

It was breaking.

The held hands all the way back, just holding their smiles on their faces, just glad to be together.

But only as friends.

The walked all the way back to the car, managing to hold up a conversation.

The old fires just wouldn't light.

They smiled, and still stared at each other's eyes.

But no matter how many ways Roxas tried to justify it…he knew it was over. It wasn't just loss of interest for him. Chance was losing interest in Roxas. He was distracted by something else. So was Roxas. Roxas was keeping secrets. And he had a dreadful feeling that Chance wasn't telling him something, too.

They hadn't kissed in forever. He didn't even know if he wanted to; he was too afraid of not feeling the spark again. They barely held each other in their arms. When they held hands, when they did hug, when they kissed each other on the cheek or forehead, Roxas barely felt a spark. He could barely keep Chance on his mind. It was always Namine now. It had happened so suddenly, he knew he shouldn't jump to conclusions…

But why prolong what he knew would end up happening? His loyalties were changing.

And it just agonized him.

He numbly let go of Chance's hand and slid into the car, uncharacteristically in the back seat, which Chance gawked at for a few moments. Roxas looked away from Chance, unable to look at the face he had told himself he had fallen in love with. That was back in the Organization. And when he had first seen him again. That he could no longer claim was truly his.

He was letting so many people down, too. All of Chance's friends, who trusted Roxas not to hurt Chance. Zexion, especially, who had allowed the blonde so much time with his closest friend. Rose, Darren, who had been Chance's closest friend…Even Treep had an odd connection to the teen…And especially, he was letting Chance down.

It was happening.

Everything was just dying.

He didn't know exactly when he started tearing up, but he suddenly sucked in a quick, strained breath, that Chance, who was heading for the driver's side, whipped around at. He ducked back in the car and looked at Roxas. "Hmm?" he let out, concerned.

Roxas didn't respond. He clutched his shoulders, curling up, unable to keep the sad expression from scrunching his face up, forcing his eyes shut. He grit his teeth, trying to keep the tears in. But he couldn't. A dejected sob escaped his lips, and he let his eyes spill over, unable to hide how upset he was anymore. He couldn't even keep a smile up for Chance anymore.

To Chance's credit, he was by Roxas's side in seconds. "Roxas!" he exclaimed. He turned the boy over, practically forcing the younger teen to look him in his single eye. It welled up with concern and care. "Roxas, what's wrong…?" he urged, gripping the boy's shoulder. Roxas didn't reply. How could he? How could he reply to Chance that he was letting him down, even if Chance had as little interest as Roxas did? The words wouldn't even form in his head.

He just leaned against the seat, almost lying down, trying to keep his cries in, when he knew it was no use. The tears wouldn't stop running down his face as he closed his eyes, hiding from the one person he thought he'd never have to hide from. Chance said nothing more, only wrapped his arms around the teen and pulled him closer, trying to comfort him with the closeness.

"Sssssssshh…" he whispered gently into the teen's hair, stroking his hair a soothing yet singular gesture. "It's okay…It's okay…"

_No it's not, no it's not noit'snotnoit'snotnoit'snot…! _His brain moaned the words over and over, and he might've breathed them at one point, but he refused to admit them yet. He didn't want to admit that he knew it was no use. Even the way Chance was holding him wasn't convincing. It was the way Axel had held him to console him, the way Zexion had clung onto him as they sobbed together, the way that Rose pulled him close when she just wanted to give someone a tight hug. Chance's hug, at best, was affectionate, not loving.

And he couldn't help but think of the times Chance had comforted him in the past…He had covered his face with kisses, had stroked his hair, stared into his eyes, murmuring that he loved him into his ears, explaining WHY everything was going to be okay…

He pulled away from the multi-colored-haired and essentially forced his lips onto Chance's, to which Chance replied with enthusiasm. He wrapped his arms around the teen, deepening the kiss, the tears still streaming down his face. Chance's hands wrapped around his thin waist, pulling him even closer. One of the blonde's large hands ran through Chance's hair as he let out a small moan.

But it was a moan of pain.

For, throughout the kisses that had once made him lose his breath…He felt nothing.

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. . .

Pokerface.

Sorry, I'm out of it. I can't comment seriously. I'm doing this to get this over with.

The one thing I will say...Is that I can parallel events in this story to my own life.

~Cat's Eye


	18. End

Short chapter.

Thanks for reading this, guys~ ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

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**Chapter 18: End**

He knew it had to be done.

He knew he had to break up with Chance.

But he had been with Chance for a whole month, longer even. Even back in the Organization, they had sort of dated. At least, they had something between them. It just felt too natural to be with the troubled adolescent, as if he had always been with him, ignoring his flaws, accepting his weaknesses, loving him…

He spent the entire next day trying to find a gentle way to break it to the mocha-eyed teen, but every time he looked at his mocha eyes…They were still breath-taking, despite Roxas's lack of affection for the teen. And he knew that part of him would always love Chance; a part of him who wasn't willing to let go.

It the end, Chance was the first one to speak.

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It was a beautiful December afternoon, December 8th to be exact. There had been a weak bout of sun that morning, just enough to brighten the earth, not enough to melt the already-fallen snow. But, by the time the teens had gotten out of school, a light powder had began to fall to earth. Soon, the world was a winter wonderland; small, spherical-like snowflakes falling from the sky in a slow manner, making every movement outside in the snow feel magical.

Chance had taken him out that day, just to walk around in the mall. Roxas remembered the mall distantly; it had been the wall he had told Chance about his nickname, Chencha. He had kissed Chance on the cheek. Oh, how he had blushed!

The memory hardly seemed to mean a thing anymore. He dully followed Chance around, unable to quell the pit still in his stomach. He no longer needed to worry about telling Chance that he loved him, at least.

But he had to break the teen's heart.

And Chance deserved to know that he had cheated on him, if only for a second.

This also meant he'd have to admit that his feelings for Namine were greater than his feelings for Chance.

He prolonged it as long as he could, smiling, laughing, pretending to be caught in the ignorant bliss he used to be in whenever the mocha-eyed teen was by his side. Reason being, if he pretended hard enough, he would occasionally be swept up in that bliss again, and, for a few precious seconds, he'd imagine the entire thing was a distant memory.

And that everything was going to be fine.

They didn't stay at the mall long. The short December days prevent them from delaying their walk home for long. Their hands loosely clung onto each other, and they walked in silence, smiles on their faces. Whether those smiles were forced or real were open for debate.

It was a beautiful evening for a walk, with the snow still falling in that slow, enchanting manner, the lamplights on the streets giving everything a slightly golden-orange glow, reflecting off the flakes. The sky had a few clear patches, revealing a deep indigo sky with silver lights glittering from time to time as the clouds uncovered the occasional star. Their footsteps made soft 'thuds' in the freshly fallen snow, lying on top of the snow from previous storms.

Chance led him to the doorsteps of the complex they lived in. But, for some reason, neither of them went for the door handle. They turned and faced each other, observing each flake on the other's body, the droplets of the melted ones, the clumps of the larger ones, the powders of the fragile ones. Roxas took a good look into Chance's remaining eye. It looked…sad.

Chance's words weren't unexpected, but they still stung.

"Roxas…" he began. The boy jumped slightly, used to the silence, unprepared for words. But he listened attentively.

"I know that you…don't feel the way you did before…"

Roxas's eyes widened. The pit in his stomach was slowly growing bottomless. His blood went cold. As much as he was prepared for this…He wasn't ready to hear it.

"I know…Your emotions…Whatever they are…" Chance managed a small smirk, just as sad as his smile. "They aren't with me."

Roxas's mouth slowly opened. He began to protest, "That's not tru—!" However, he was cut off as Chance brought a finger to his lips, quieting the boy. His downcast face was unbearably gentle and understanding. Roxas felt like was going to be sick for a few moments.

"Roxas, it's okay. I…I always knew that you would pick Namine. I…I loved you…But I always had a feeling…" He trailed off awkwardly. Roxas felt the small part of him—the part of him that will always love Chance, but never enough for him to be able to say it truthfully—forced himself to speak desperately in a final attempt to bring back anything.

"No, no, Chance…I-It's not true…!" he whined, eyes pained. "It just…" But what could he say? That he loved Chance, not Namine? That he had always loved Chance, just not anymore? How could he say that he would've picked Chance a thousand times over, when he couldn't do it now, when he had kissed Namine, when he loved…Her?

Chance shook his head. "Roxas, all I've wanted…" He looked Roxas in the eye again, showing a selflessness that only he could master. "Was for you to be happy. It was never about me. It was always about you."

_No Chance, that's not true, I loved you; it was ALWAYS about you…!_ "It was always about you…!" he managed to let out, though the will to fight was dying down. Chance was right. Whatever happened to Chance wasn't relevant to the boy. To Chance, the relationship had consisted mainly of him keeping the blue-eyed boy happy. And here he was, doing it again.

"If you're happier with Namine…" He seemed to choke on these words a bit, pausing. His eyes seemed to haze over slightly, almost watering up. Roxas took this opportunity to slump forward and take Chance's hand, holding it gently, trying to match the kindness in the other teen's gaze with his own, despite the fact that he knew that his eyes were dull, with no fight left in them. Chance managed to regain himself and continue, "Then…Then so be it, I guess."

Roxas shook his head, but he couldn't think of any words. The will to hold onto this was gone. He hung his head, understanding.

"And Roxas…It's not your fault." Roxas lifted his head, surprised. "It's mine…" Chance wouldn't look his in the eye, his cheeks turning rosy. "I tried to forget him, I tried to stop myself from feeling this way, I TRIED…B-but—!"

"But you still love him…Don't you?" Roxas murmured, gripping Chance's hands tighter. Chance's eyes widened, whipping his head around to face Roxas. His mouth opening to oppose Roxas, but before he could speak, Roxas murmured, "I know, Chance. I know…It's fine."

It was silent for a bit, as they just stared down at each other. How had they gone from being so in love with each other, to falling apart in front of their eyes?

"…I always have…And I probably always will," Chance admitted, voice filled with regret. He gripped Roxas's hand tighter. "I-I'll always love you, Roxas…It just isn't enough…I feel too guilty from staring after…him."

Roxas nodded, smiling up at Chance, trying to show that, despite the fact that he no longer loved this teen with the same magnitude that he had before, his heart was shattering.

"We…We can still be friends, right?" Roxas asked tentatively.

Chance smiled, and loosened his grip on Roxas's hand, only to cling onto it tighter. "We've always been friends. Even through this. We were more…But we always have been, and always will be…"

The cracks in Roxas's heart grew as he realized how true those words were. It was more over the fact that the break-up was finally hitting him than the words themselves.

"Chance…"

"Yes?"

"Maybe…Not forever, but for a while…Can I still hold your hand?" He drew ever so slightly closer to the boy as he said this.

Without missing a beat, Chance murmured, "As long as you'd like." He moved closer too.

"Can I still run to you when I'm scared?" Roxas asked, bringing his arms up to Chance's, holding him loosely.

"If it would make your fear leave," Chance murmured as his answer, moving closer and putting his hands on Roxas's hips. The blonde boy felt a shudder pass through him. This was really it though…

"Can I still hold you tight?" Roxas whispered, gripping Chance's arms tight, staring up into the older teen's eyes. Something almost felt as if it was ripping out of him, yet at the same time, he could barely feel a thing.

The same reluctance was in Chance's eyes, even more evident as Chance took his hand and gently trace Roxas's jaw. "If it would comfort you," he whispered back.

It was finally ending. Roxas almost wish he still felt his heart racing as Chance held him like this. But all his heart felt like was a deadweight, even deader as the situation kept hitting him harder. No matter how much that one small part of him still loved Chance; it would never be enough to start this again, would it?

"And…Can I still kiss you?" he inquired, almost shyly.

Chance smiled gently at that, letting out a small snort. "People would talk…Especially Namine…"

He could do all these things for Chance, the holding, the hugging, the closeness, the kisses…But it would never be the same, and would never bring the feelings back.

Still, Roxas wanted something to hold onto, not willing to fully let this go yet. "I'm not asking about people, or Namine, I'm asking about you…"

Chance's eyes turned even gentler. "I'll always be there for you, Roxas, in any way I can."

They just stared at each other for a while, their words finally sinking in. The cold from the air was slowly sinking into their bodies. Along with it, the meaning of the words they spoke.

"So…You're breaking up with me…?" Roxas finally managed, looking up at Chance with sad, regretful, but certain eyes.

Chance bit his bottom lip, the hurt on his face evident. The moment of pain, however, ended quickly, as he slowly nodded and murmured in response, "Yeah…"

"…It's really over, isn't it?" Roxas hesitantly asked. For, maybe it wasn't. Maybe all they really did need was a break. Maybe he could cling onto this; maybe things wouldn't work out with Namine, maybe Chance would realize Treep wasn't the one for him, maybe they'll realized the loved each other the whole time…

His beliefs were crushed as Chance nodded his head again, this time more remorsefully than the last. It was as if he knew what Roxas was thinking, and was revealing that his thoughts couldn't come true. "I think it really is…" he let on. A small spark of hope flared in Roxas's chest. But a spark it remained, forever trapped in the cage of darkness. If they were ever to return back to this, they would have to work, pay their dues, and wait it out.

Could he do that? Maybe not now, maybe not ever…But that spark remained.

Neither he nor Chance moved from where they were. It was too comfortable, too familiar…And it was already beginning to feel nostalgic. Roxas recalled his time in the Organization, as he stumbled over his feelings for the teen in front of him. He traced up his memories, following through the discovery of his love, the days they had spent together, the missions they had done together, Chance's past suicidal ways, his suicide, coming back, all the dates, his doubting feelings, the moment with Namine…

"…Chance, there's something I have to tell you." Chance had a right to know. Besides, there really was nothing to lose. They were done. What could he gain from keeping a secret from Chance?

He barely was able to find it in him to bring his eyes up to Chance's. He was surprised to find the same guilt reflected in Chance's eyes. "I…I do too."

Roxas hesitated, then slowly nodded. He took in a deep breath, just as Chance was. He paused, and, with a shy smile, offered, "N-No, you can go first…!"

Chance jumped, a bit surprised, but hastily answered, "No, no, it's fine, you wanted to first!" The same smile crossed his face. Their smiles remained there, slowly fading as the words formed in their throats. Roxas let his gaze drop down to his shoes, a small blush rising to his face. The tense silence clung to the air, making it harder for the words to get out.

But they did. At the same time Roxas was exclaiming, "I kinda kissed Namine on purpose…!" Chance managed to get out, "Me and Sora kinda…kissed…!" They both went wide-eyed as the other's words hit their ears and looked back at each other, pulling away slightly.

"Wait, you and Namine…?" Chance exclaimed.

"SORA?" Roxas gasped.

Their words held shock, but no pain, and though neither of them had suspected the other, they had both known all along that something like this was bound to happen. They gazed at each other for some time, letting the words settle, and their expressions calm. Finally, Roxas, once again, smirked dejectedly at the older teen. He let out a small, half-laugh and murmured, "This really does need to end…"

Chance managed to chuckle nervously and quietly at this. "Yeah…I think it does…"

Roxas was about to pull away to walk to the bread shop downtown; he was planning on going to Axel for comfort after their date, and now he needed it more than anything. But, before he fully turned, he paused, turning to Chance again. Blushing slightly, Roxas asked, "Would it be too much…To ask for one more goodbye?"

Chance didn't need to ask what 'one more goodbye' meant. He leaned down and kissed Roxas lightly, a kiss lasting hardly three seconds. The sparks in Roxas's chest lit up from the ashes, almost causing his heart to light up again. _I'll always love him, if only a little…And maybe this isn't done forever? _He couldn't convince himself that it was fully over, but he couldn't convince himself that they could come back to this either.

It was a lovely way to say goodbye, though. A kiss under the snow, the promising future of going back to friends, no secrets between them…Yet there were strings tied to his chest, tugging and tugging at him, reminding him that this shouldn't he happening, that he was letting Chance down, that he'd go back to his old ways, that he needed to cling on…

But not even Chance was holding onto this anymore. As he pulled away, he felt Chance's affections hang onto his lips. Whatever Chance had left, he left a majority of it behind in that kiss, as Roxas had. They smiled at each other, as if to lie and promise each other that the future would be bright, and there was nothing to worry about or to be afraid of.

"I'll break the news to everyone…You can tell Axel, but…I-I think they'd rather hear it from me." Chance requested, before Roxas turned away forever. True the blonde would be coming home tonight, but in a way, he really was gone forever.

"Okay…!" Roxas murmured, choking up. He turned away from Chance's embrace before any tears escaped. He recovered himself by the time he walked down the stairs, leaving fresh footprints in the snow next to his previous ones. But even as he walked, he felt the ache in his chest grow.

_Goodbye, Chance…_He turned around and looked at the teen one last time. His piercing mocha eye—still beautiful to Roxas—gazed down at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Roxas managed a final smirk, and lifted his hand to wave at the teen. The mocha-eyed boy responded with a smirk and a wave back. Then, Roxas turned his back, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked on, never turning back.

He couldn't escape the feeling that he really should have. And he probably never will.

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A short break-up chapter.

~Cat's Eye


	19. Epilogue:  Tortured Till Torn

(Author's Note: This last chapter was written a year or so ago, and though it's been updated, it's still pretty archaic writing, even by the standards of this story…But I felt like the end of the fanfiction had to show something like this. It feel it's the perfect ending, even if it isn't the happiest.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Square Enix owns them. Either that or Disney owns them.

However, I do own 'At Least He Tried', and the 'Taking Chances' Series.

I also own Chance. Any of the mentioned cannot be used without my permission.

The poem is also mine.

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**Chapter 19: Tortured Till Torn**

Immediately after Roxas left, Chance felt inconsolable depression. And now, there was only one way to cope.

As his wrists grew damp and the old pain soaked into his bones, he added the finishing touches on his latest piece of literature, a small poem expressing himself at the moment. Roxas had held him back from doing either of these for the longest time. Roxas had given him a reason not to. While Roxas was with him, he had felt like he could heal. He felt like, if he had just had more time…

But, in the looks that Roxas gave him today, he could tell that it wouldn't have worked out for the time he needed to heal. He felt it in the kiss. He could almost read Roxas's mind. It wasn't what Roxas wanted. Roxas cared for Namine, and, whatever affections he had with Chance, he wished to stay by her side, rather than Chance's. The suicidal could understand that.

After all, he wasn't even worth the effort…

_**Burt to a crisp**_

_**Without a scar**_

_**Don't know how**_

_**I got this far**_

He had tried to go on, to forget Treep, to make his life happy again. He had tried to the fullest extent he could. Roxas had helped them and had been there for him. He had offered his support, his kindness…And at some points, Chance almost believed Roxas was giving him love. But, in the end, it just fell apart. Neither of them were happy together, they had CHEATED deliberately on each other, it was falling apart, and Chance knew that, though there was a slim beam of hope for the future, it was over. He had broken up with Roxas, because, not only was Roxas's heart no longer with him, but his heart was no longer with Roxas.

And already, not even five minutes later, here he was, slitting his wrists again. How pathetic could you get?

He was too weak. Without someone by his side, he was useless. He had promised Roxas not to cut while he was with him, but…_If you're not there, and…Treep…isn't there…What's the point…?_

_**For all I've been through**_

_**Every time**_

_**I find I cannot**_

_**Leave behind**_

He knew that no one liked him when he did this. He knew that people hated him for it. They didn't have to say it. They said they loved him, for who he was. But he could see the disapproval in their faces, the malice in their eyes, as they gazed down at his wrist bands in contempt.

But he had been hurt terribly, and he knew that there was no way to heal himself. And even if there were better remedies, this one just worked the best.

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is what I seem**_

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is who I'll be**_

Everyone was out of the house, most of them at a Christmas party down the block. Even Roxas was off at a Panera Bread, probably telling Axel about the break-up. No one knew that Chance was back at the house, and no one would know till close to eleven tonight. They wouldn't see that his wrists were bloody again until tomorrow, most likely. Hell, maybe he could hide it for even longer. He had been careful in the past, and could be careful again. He could tell people he had broken up with Roxas and hide the fact that he was cutting again…couldn't he?

_**Every torment**_

_**Every sin**_

_**Thrown at me**_

_**The pain sinks in**_

They trusted him so much now…He wished they didn't. He didn't deserve their trust. They had trusted that, with Roxas's help, he'd heal. He had almost promised that to them, with unspoken words. They would shower him with kindness the second they found out that he and Roxas broke up. But that's not what he desired. He wanted to be left alone, and neglected. That's what he deserved. He felt he was only a burden on everyone around him, especially now that he's gone back to his old ways. They told him it would be okay. They told him that the pain would leave. They told him that he didn't have to do this. But he felt their words were empty. No one's opinion mattered. Not Rose's. Not Zexion's. Not Roxas's anymore. Not Darren's. Not Thatch's. Especially not Treep.

…Okay, Treep's opinion mattered to him more than anything. But that's what made the situation even worse.

_**I want to just**_

_**Fade away**_

_**I try so hard**_

_**And yet I stay**_

He knew that he wasn't giving his friends proper credit. He knew that they truly loved him. He just felt too devastated to care…Which was another of his flaws. He was always so over-dramatic. He broke down crying at practically nothing. He was heartbroken over a heartache from years ago.

But then there were the other reasons…And at the moment, the agonizing screeches of his parents as they burst into flames flooded his mind. Memories he had locked away, and was slowly coming to terms with, came crashing down on him full force, flinging him back to square one.

Why? Why did his parents have to die? Why couldn't they be here to guide him, to tell him what to do, to chide him for cutting, and to send him down the right path? Why did he never get the chance to try and explain himself to his mother and father? He wished he knew how to deal with the pain…He wanted his Mom and Dad…He knew he was fortunate to have his family of friends…

But they weren't the same…

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is what I seem**_

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is who I'll be**_

He saw his tears mix with his blood, creating the illusion that there was more of the metallic-smelling, crimson liquid than there actually was. He stared at the salt shaker that he had snatched absentmindedly from the kitchen. It just sat beside him, innocent enough. He had forgotten why he had grabbed it up until this point, and its presence hadn't been noted until now. He didn't move for a little while, razor still in hand.

He had thought of the expression, 'Pour salt into the wound.' He had used it several times to describe his life. But, what did it ACTUALLY feel like?

_It can't hurt too badly…I've done so much to myself already, I'm sure my body's prepared for anything…_

But if intensified the pain…Couldn't he escape further? Couldn't he have a few more moments away from those memories, even if it meant physical harm…?

_**My heart aches**_

_**My head screams**_

_**The memories**_

_**Nightmares for dreams**_

His parents, his love-life, his friendship, his natural ability to attract danger, his very being…They were all things that taunted him in life. They either laughed straight in his face, or waved hope in his face, only snatching it away when Chance had almost grabbed it, snickering at his misfortune. He knew that so much good had happened to him, but so had so much bad, so much more bad…

_**Slashed in half**_

_**Bleeding out**_

_**Need to cry**_

_**Need to shout**_

He gently poured a handful of salt into one of his hands. He felt the grains tickle his palm as they fell down, some dropping on his hand, only to bounce off of it and make a dive to the floor. He shifted them around, contemplating. He played with a single, tiny crystal in his fingers, staring at it in the dim light of his room…

He'd have to be careful with his cutting, and this new experimenting, though. His carpet wasn't stain-proof, and it wasn't the right shade of red. And he couldn't forget Zexion's sensitive nose; he might have to overload his room with scented candles if the slate-haired boy started getting too suspicious. And he'd have to be careful not to let anyone check to see if the scars were healing, as Darren had done for a while. Excuses ran through his head as he gazed down at the grains in his hand.

He hadn't even realized he was crying until he felt clear tears seep down his face, rather than the red ones he was creating. He really would stoop that low, wouldn't he? He was that pathetic. He was trying to deny them access into his pain, to make him feel better. He was stopping him from stopping this abuse, which really would help him more in the long run.

But…It felt good. The pain. It made him focus on it, forcing him to forget everything in order to give attention to the suffering. He knew it was bad, but he couldn't stop. He hated every moment of it, hated himself for it, but he couldn't stop…

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is what I seem**_

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is who I'll be**_

He hadn't cut his eye in a while. Even before he had stopped cutting his wrists, he had taken a break from running a blade to his right eye. But it felt like how he remembered; burning, unbearable, and yet, irresistible…

And if he can deal with a blade, to his eye, why couldn't he handle a handful of salt to his wounds? How bad could a small handful of salt hurt? He was curious. It couldn't be that bad…Maybe just a bit more biting.

He slowly poured the salt into one of his bleeding wrists.

_**No solace**_

_**In my life**_

_**Escaping**_

_**Is my strife**_

For a second, he only felt the small grains dropping into his blood. There was a small, 'Ploosh' as each of them found themselves swimming in a pool of blood; the only reason that Chance could hear it was because he was alone, and in utter silence. It didn't really hurt at first; it just felt like something was dropping into his body. At worst, the sensation was uncomfortable.

He wasn't prepared for the salt to dissolve, sending a tormenting agony spread through his limbs.

He moaned in pain and fear. It hurt more than he had intended it to, and there was already too much salt…He immediately released the rest of the salt, more out of a reflex to avoid pain than to stop pouring salt in the wound. Unfortunately, he forgot where his hand was; still hovering over his bleeding wrist. It landed in the wound, as he had originally planned. But the plan was backfiring. The tormenting pain spread faster with more salt in the wound. It wasn't just in his arms now. It was rushing through his veins, burning each individual blood cell until he began to scream in agony. Everything burned, fibers, organs, muscles, veins…Everything felt like they were being dipped into hot lava, then left there to burn alive…

_**Endless pain**_

_**Leave me be**_

_**Let me rest**_

_**Let me see**_

He fell to the floor, sobbing and screaming. The only light he could see right now was the fact that no one was here to see or hear this. He could do nothing to escape. He rubbed it on his shirt, he ran his wrist across the ground, trying to get the salt out. The rubbing only inflamed it more, making him breathless for a few moments, only to let out another holler a few seconds later.

He felt like his entire being was being torn in half, with each huge wave of this unbearable torment causing him to scream again. He wanted it go away. He wasn't thinking straight, as if the salt had rushed to his brain and was messing with the controls. He believed it hurt as much as watching his parents burn alive. Compared to Treep's harsh tongue, it was about the same. Several of his attempts at death had been LESS painful than this. It hurt him in a way he had never been hurt before, internally and externally at the same time. He rolled on the ground, clutching his arm gingerly into him chest, still screaming. He prayed no one was coming home early from anywhere, or they would here his tormented howls, each one like a new wave of pain, slicing through the air. His lungs cried for air, and his throat burned with each new strain of his vocal cords.

Through the haze in his mind, he managed to scream, _Why? Why me? Why do I have to suffer? Why can't someone else have this pain? I'd give anything to take this pain away; this burden weighing me down every day!_ His words were gibberish, if any tried to escape, drowned in his screams. He even called out for help once or twice, so bad the pain was.

He whimpered, tears streaming down his cheek. The agony still rushed through him, strong as ever, despite his attempts to scream and scrub it away. He wished he was burning in the fire again when he had camped out. He wished Roxas's cutting knife was lodged into his back. He wished that he'd get run over by a car. He wished his heart would stop and his brain would break. The only positive side to this was it was having him focus on this pain rather than his other pains. Even so, for a few hysterical moments, he wished he could be back at Brandon's death scene, or watching his parents burn alive.

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is what I seem**_

_**Tortured till torn**_

_**Is who I'll be**_

For almost a full eight minutes, Chance felt the pain that the tiny grains had caused rush through is veins, dissolving so they could travel faster. The time period wasn't long at all, but it took forever to end. He screamed the entire time, just hoping it would stop soon. His clouded mind caused him to reach for his razor, tempted to cut his head off and severe his mind from any of this. Every time his heart pumped blood, the wave rocketed through him, and the torture was brought back, and still slashed through him like it was fresh and new; like each little wave was the same horrible first experience repeated over and over again, history repeating itself. He rocked back and forth, rolled on the ground, bawling, screaming, praying, feeling the ache soar through every single limb in his body, barely able to move, barely able to think, unable doing anything to try and wash the suffering away…

_**Finally done**_

_**Gone too far**_

_**No one saves me**_

_**From this scar**_

Slowly, the pain ebbed away. Chance gasped for breath, tears still flowing down his face, still whimpering. He lay on his back, still clutching his right arm, where the salt had been. The sting was finally dying down. He sighed in relief. It was over…

He stared at the salt shaker again, shuddering. He would never look at the white grains the same way. Now aware of the pain that they caused…He pushed the shaker away, still holding himself close.

The small grains of rice, slowly building up into an agony…Just like the tiny things people did each day, building up onto each other, until one is made by one's actions. Just like memories, piling up together, until remembering them was unbearable. Just like Chance's memories…

The pain hadn't been the worst, now that he could think again. Treep's scathing words, the screams of his parents, watching a friend die…Compared to those, this hadn't been as bad. It had been agonizing, but it didn't last nearly as long, and the pain honestly hadn't been all that bad. He would never try it again, but it hadn't been that bad.

God, he was messed up.

_**Hurt to perfection**_

_**Stabbed till fine**_

_**Scream till hoarse**_

_**Destroyed till divine**_

He sighed. Then, he looked around. After surveying the state in which he left the room, the suicidal winced. He had been so consumed in his own suffering; he hadn't noticed the utter mess he had made. Blood had managed to dot his bed and his desk chair, and it splattered in small patches on the carpet, which indeed, was the wrong color red to hide his stains. His chest was covered in blood, his shirt nearly soaking. He had let the red liquid set for too long as well, which would make it harder, if not impossible to get out. _If anyone walks into my room right now, or saw this shirt…I'm doomed._

He might be required to tell them after all. The wrist he had poured salt in was swelling, as if infected, and Chance doubted it would be inconspicuous underneath the thickest of his armbands. And, there was no way to hide the blood on his shirt without throwing away the outfit, and Marluxia would notice for sure. And he doubted he'd have a convincing enough lie to get through this…

But, whatever he did tell them about, he wouldn't tell them about the salt. He was still shaking from the pain attack. Never again would he toy with the harmless looking condiment. He doubted he'd be able to salt his food in the future, despite how much it needed it. It was a silly fear, but it was a fear, nonetheless.

Still, he sighed sadly. He kinda missed the agony now. Now, here he was, stuck back in the cruel reality he was trying to escape. _I wish that everything would just leave me…This pain that I've felt so long. It tempts me to do so many terrible things…And if that can't leave, I wish all my wonderful friends would. They don't deserve to see me like this._ _I wish they could know how sorry I am…I wish I could make the understand…_

He managed to stand himself up. He'd need to put the salt-shaker back, change, and try to cover this up if he could figure out away. He glanced idly over at the notebook sprawled across his bed. It was open to the poem he just wrote, the tip of the feather he had used still drying. As his eyes scanned across the words, he realized that his poem had matched the experience perfectly. He gathered the salt shaker and the razor, planning on disposing of them both, one way or another. As he left the room, he looked back at the poem book. He paused before leaving.

"_**Tortured till torn…"**_ he chanted out loud.

"_**Is what I seem…**_

"_**Tortured till torn…**_

"_**Is who I'll be…"**_

The door shut behind him._  
>In the end, waiting did nothing. Waiting proved to be the wrong path to stray down. In the end, the greatest downfall of their relationship was that they waited.<br>But at least they tried._

Meanwhile, Zexion, needing to come home for some more lemonade, noticed the salt shaker was missing. Which reminded him, the chili at the party was a little flavorless, and it could use salt. But he couldn't find anything in the clutter of the house. He looked around, wondering who could've taken it, and then realized that Chance hadn't been at the party. Was he home? He looked upstairs. Someone was up there. He heard a door shut…Maybe Chance knew who had taken it. Or had he taken it himself?

**THE END**

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It's over.

It's over at last.

(More Author's Notes coming up...)

~Cat's Eye


	20. Notes from the Author

HEY GUYS.

Cat's Eye here, obviously~

I bet many of you have noticed...I haven't really done anything online in a while. ^^; Well, there are several reasons for that.

1) I GOT A LAPTOP. So I actually am almost always online. But, the thing is, it's harder to type with a laptop, and I have yet to figure out the system for the word documents on the computer. Might install Microsoft, but...

2) I AM SO LAZY.

3) I'm having slight family issues at the moment, so I don't like typing on the computer that's in the center of the house where everyone can talk to me.

4) The drive to write Chance's story has...kinda died down. I love him. To pieces. But the ideas for his story are so dated, and amateur, that, YES, I can fix them up, but it would take a long time.

5) I have a HUGE distraction in my life. Huge. A REALLY GOOD ONE. A really romantic one. So yeah.

**So I am temporarily discontinuing the series.**

I may or may not ever come back to Chance. But for now, I need a break to clean up a LOT of old projects.

**BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, I am willing to respond to any questions about the three stories I've written, on the sequels I had planned, on any spoiler alerts I never got around to resolving...~**

**And if you guys want to know...eventually...I planned on Chance having a happy ending. ^_^**

Cat's Eye out~ I might not be back for a while. But time will tell~ I have some new projects in mind. :)

Hugs and butterfly kisses,

~Edym Rose Cat's Eye


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